LIFE LOG
LIFE LOG
Adventure, environment, and community. All of Nick's running challenges, expeditions, and world firsts are designed to connect local communities, support good causes and ensuring that the environmental impact issues are elevated within the running community.
Adventure, environment, and community. All of Nick's running challenges, expeditions, and world firsts are designed to connect local communities, support good causes and ensuring that the environmental impact issues are elevated within the running community.
LIFE LOG
Nick was born 5 weeks early, substantially underweight; and as such spent a number of weeks in the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) of Salisbury Hospital. He was as stubborn and determined from day one as he is now. From a cripplingly shy, dyslexic boy, that struggled to walk as a child, his world changed when he found sport, it changed further when he ditched a successful career in banking to transform running from a passion and an obsession into a career, life, and everything in between. Nick thanks all those who have been beside him on the path into running.
1989
BIRTH
On 26th August in Odstock hospital in Salisbury, Wiltshire, Nick was born 4lb 15oz. He was tiny, and needed to be placed in the SCBU. The special care baby unit looked after Nick until he was strong enough to experience the world on his own. Every day since have somewhat got more adventures.
EARLY OPPORTUNITIES
Beginning to explore aged 1. Thanks to his parents Nick was given early opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, sport and begin a life of adventure.
1990
1991
INTRO TO SKIING
First on skis at 16 months old. Nick began what would later become his first obsession with sport aged just 16 months old. This photos is taken when we was slightly older. An early start led Nick to join the under 19's Snow Sport England Ski Team - a slalom ski career was on the table.
DISCOVERING ADVENTURE
1999
Venturing to the waves once more. Very good friends of the family were a guiding light for Nick. John, Bertie, Peter, and many others helped Nick step into sports like sailing, skiing, surfing, and tennis. Sport quickly became, quite literally, an every day obsession. It was only possible with support from great and sadly late selfless friends.
2004
Flying high with my mate Ollie. Growing up in the countryside, Nick and his oldest friend Ollie still adventure together now. Ollie gained his first of many variations of pilot licences aged 16. And although his dad had to drive them to the airport Nick and Ollie were now able to travel by air, anywhere they wished.
PROPER RUNNING
Becoming a stroppy teenager. Nick wasn't an easy teenager. But sport grounded and controlled his energy. Running and cycling started to take Nick's full attention - running huge distances very young, cycling to work, and running his first marathon.
IT'S WHO YOU KNOW
2006
2009
Goodbye banking, hello running. Eventually Nick found the courage to leave the safety and security of a job, income, a clear future, and a 'normal' career, to try and make it as a runner. First of all, it was baby steps, less time working, more time running. Eventually running won. Hundreds of marathons were already under his belt. Ultra marathons were becoming possible too.
UNDERSTANDING TRAINING
Starting to take running seriously. With a ski career coming and going, Nick understood the power of training, and so although behind a desk with a 'normal' job. Nick trained harder than ever to balance the mundane. This training cemented Nick's endurance abilty and focus. Running was now elevated even higher in Nick's priorities. Was it possible to turn running into a job?
INTRO TO SPONSORS
2010
2011
Races, challenges, ultras; they were still not long enough. Nick was never very fast over short distances, but could seem to run for days and days. This was when Nick turned to longer events, and longer independent challenges. By this point Nick had already run over 200 official marathons, with another 100 in training.
INDEPENDENT CHALLENGES
Starting out. With official races not appearing to Nick, he began to go his own way. Starting to run independent challenges with his own goals, with only himself to determine a success or failure. This was the development of what later become Nick's day to day. Specific individual challenges.
RUNNING LONGER
2012
2020
VANLIFE BEGINS
Since completing the 674 day adventure around the world, Nick signed deals with new brands, his book, Running The World rocketed to best seller, and a documentary of the journey is currently being made. All the while, Nick continued to challenge himself.
THE GREATEST FINISH LINE
Moving into a new home. A van. Naturally the adventures ensued. Nick ran the south west coast path, ran a marathon around the van in covid lockdown, ran around every lake in the lake district... and then to Italy for the Italian Grand Tour. Special thanks to Nick's brother Chris for building a dream home on wheels.
2019
On January 6th 2018, Nick set off to attempt to become the first and only person to run a marathon in every country in the world. This was a step into the limelight he hadn't planned, but it raised over £200,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, and it changed the course of Nick's life forever.
PUPPY PARENTHOOD
Shortly after moving into the van, Nick found puppy Poppy. She has since clocked up hundreds of miles. Nick now gets recognised more for Poppy than himself.
ITALIAN GRAND TOUR
100 marathons in 100 days. North to South of Italy. What started off as a jolly in the gap between lockdown 1 and lockdown 2, Nick took to Italy and then the French alps, living away from home for 6 months on the road. Poppy is now well travelled.
2018
RUNNING THE WORLD
During the famous Marathon de Sables desert race, Nick met fellow runner Kevin Webber. Kev was an almighty turning point for Nick. Kev inspired Nick through his words, situation and heart felt advice. With work behind him, Nick set to challenge himself on a huge scale to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK.
KEVIN WEBBER
2016
2013
From tropics, to ice fields, Nick was learning to suffer, and beginning to travel further to learn how to suffer in different climates. Heat chambers were never as tough as the real thing. Nick later when on to run in temperatures of 50 degrees. Nick's all time mileage count was creeping up and up by the week.
ENDURING
Ireland, Paris, and more. Nick was learning to endure. From planning to execution, a life as a runner is one thing, but to make it sustainable was another. Ireland was a failed world record attempt, London to Paris was a huge success, and both supported what was to come.
LEARNING TO SUFFER
2015
2021
In conjunction with Nick charity The 196 Foundation, and his environmental initiave Free Your Footprint, Nick has set himself a challenge that could be a step too far. 200 marathons in 100 days. Nick loves to be out of the comfort zone, but this will be a test of the mind as much of the body. Nick attempts to run 200 marathons in 100 days around the coast of Great Britain. Please donate to The 196 Foundation, and support Nick's journey. He is running right now.