In the past, we’ve seen runners attempt to run a marathon every single day to help raise awareness for a particular cause or charity, but in 2024, one British man will have to do it 366 times.
James Cooper of West Sussex, England, began his challenge on January 1, with his goal of running a marathon each day until December 31. With this being a leap year, that brings his total number of marathons to 366.
Cooper is attempting to raise money and awareness for Samaritans, a charity that provides mental health aid.
Cooper, who lost a family member to suicide in 2017, recently spoke on an episode of the Mental Health Monday Podcast about his own mental health and what led him to found his own project, Smilinggg, to provide others with tips and advice to improve their mental health amid difficult times. The three “g’s” stand for generosity, gratitude, and growth in people’s everyday lives.
Cooper says he sees the 366-day challenge as a showcase of his progress and a chance to raise funds for Samaritans.
“During my runs this week, I can’t help but frame the Smilinggg366 mission as a 366 stage race,” Cooper wrote on Instagram this week.
In an interview with Planet Radio, Cooper spoke more about the challenge and how he finds the energy to complete each marathon.
“It’s up to you to find the beauty in what many would say was the same route. As long as you’re paying attention there’s a lot more varying aspects to it that bring a richness to the experience,” Cooper said.
“It’s the meaning, it’s the purpose, it’s the knowing I have to get up every day to do this, it’s the benefit it’s bringing to others,” he said.
Cooper also shared how the loss of his uncle to suicide motivates him to run every day. “It’s an opportunity to find some meaning in the suffering that I and my family continue to feel today. That void doesn’t go away, and that pain moves on to those left behind,” Cooper said.
“I just want to do all I can to give some meaning to the sadness, really.”
Laura Ratliff is a New York City-based writer, editor, and runner. Laura's writing expertise spans numerous topics, ranging from travel and food and drink to reported pieces covering political and human rights issues. She has previously worked at Architectural Digest, Bloomberg News, and Condé Nast Traveler and was most recently the senior editorial director at TripSavvy. Like many of us, Laura was bitten by the running bug later in life, after years of claiming to "hate running." Her favorite marathon is Big Sur.
