Seventeen‑year‑old Marcus Skeet, better known as ‘TheHullBoy’, just smashed an 837‑mile run from the bottom to the top of the UK, raising a six‑figure sum for mental‑health charity Mind in the process.
The final Strava ping landed on May 29, capping a two‑month effort that covered 1,347 km.
The numbers are almost as eye‑watering as the mileage: Skeet’s GoFundMe now sits at over £126,000 – roughly $170,000 – after snowballing from a few hundred pounds to six figures in just under eight weeks.
The top donation so far comes from an anonymous donor, who gave £20,000.
NFL legend JJ Watt dropped a £5,000 donation midway through the run, and commended Skeet on social media:
“Just over a year ago, you began a journey to change your life and along the way, you changed the lives of so many others. It’s one thing to start down such a path, it’s another thing completely to continue that commitment daily and constantly up the stakes along the way.
“You could have given up at any point along the way, but you chose not to. Your perseverance is your superpower. You’ve inspired thousands, both near and far, my friend. Never doubt the impact you’re having and continue to show the world that it only takes one person to make a difference.”
When the finish line finally came into view, HullBoy wasn’t alone. He was joined by Russ Cook, aka The Hardest Geezer, the man who ran the entire length of Africa last year, who showed up for the last stretch and christened the teenager’s effort “absolutely class.”
After completing the challenge, Skeet reflected, “I’m an emotional mess tonight but I just want to say, no matter how dark a place you are in. It can and WILL get better. 2 years ago I was in the darkest place in my life, 2 years later we have made history.”
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