Mike Humphreys tragically lost friend Carl Giblin to motor neurone disease (MND) in 2017
A man who has tackled a series of insane challenges in a bid to cure motor neurone disease has revealed he will run the entire length of South America. Mike Humphreys, from Hedon, will run between 10,000km and 12,000 km from the southern tip of Chile to the most northern point of Colombia.
The 38-year-old admits the feat is “slightly crazy”, but still something he is determined to take on. Originally, Mike was going to run the length of Chile, but didn’t think the challenge had enough “wow factor”.
Previously, he has run 30 marathons in 30 days in 30 different countries, which was a “world first”, and cycled 1,000 miles from Hull to Europe’s highest ski resort. Mike is motivated by the loss of his friend, former Hull United AFC footballer Carl Giblin, to MND in 2017, and the current battle of friend Craig Eskrett who was diagnosed with the disease in 2023.
Mike told Hull Daily Mail: “I lost my friend seven years ago. Knowing what is coming around the corner unless there is a cure is heartbreaking.”
With temperatures in excess of 40C, Mike admits running a marathon a day is going to be “really tough”. Around Patagonia and the Andes, the “elevation gain is going to be insane”.
He added: “It is one of the most diverse terrains in the world, ranging from deserts to mountain ranges to tropical beaches. The climate is going to be hot, but when I start in the bottom of Chile it is going to be really cold.”
Mike believes the hardest part of the challenge will be “staying injury-free” as the kilometres accumulate. “Attempting to run a marathon a day for over 200 days is obviously something which is just so tough on the body,” he said.
He recently left his job as a welder to focus on training and reduce the risk of injury. “Mentally, I can get through the pain, but physically, will my body hold up?” he said.
Mike was inspired by The Hardest Geezer, Russ Cook, who, last year, became the first person to run the length of Africa from the southernmost to the northernmost point. Ahead of his departure for South America, Mike spoke with Russ who advised him to “be running 100 miles a week in training”.
In total, Mike estimates the journey will take between 200 and 260 days. The route takes him through Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.
He departs for Chile in October and will begin the challenge in early November, which is late springtime in the Southern Hemisphere. To document the journey on Instagram and YouTube, Mike will be accompanied by cameraman and editor Chino Rocha who is based in Hull but originally from Argentina.
Mike says he feels “lucky” to be sponsored by Huel as part of its Limit Seeker Fund, awarded to people attempting world first challenges. He will be “taking a suitcase” of Huel meal replacements and supplements with him for the journey which he said will help enormously in remote regions.
You can follow the progress of Mike’s challenges on his Instagram page. Mike’s gofundme for the MND Association has so far raised more than £34,000.
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