TV PERSONALITY, campaigner and athlete Josh Patterson visited North Wales and Chester as part of a record-breaking challenge for a suicide prevention charity.
“Made in Chelsea” star Josh, 33, is aiming to complete 76 marathons in 76 cities in 76 days – four of which he ran in St Asaph, Bangor, Chester and Wrexham.
Josh’s “Run 4 1 Million” challenge sees him aim to raise £1million for the charity, Samaritans - reaching his target could fund 200,000 lifesaving phone calls.
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Josh’s Chester and North Wales marathons were as follows:
- Chester – March 29
- St Asaph – March 30
- Bangor – March 31
- Wrexham – April 1
Josh said: “Chester is a beautiful city, with lots of stunning sites. A couple of friends came down to join me in Bangor, and my daughter surprised me, so that was a marathon that I remember greatly.
“I remember running over the bridge in Bangor, with the water a pristine blue, which was refreshing to see.
“The terrain in St Asaph was quite difficult; we faced a lot of headwinds, but it was very special to be in such a small, unique city.
“Wrexham was unbelievable; I went to the club, and they very kindly allowed me to go on to the pitch at half-time and speak to the Wrexham fans. The reaction from all of the fans was absolutely massive.
“It was a very special experience. North Wales as a whole was just great; I was so happy to be there.”
You can add to Josh’s total funds raised, which currently stands at just more than £67,500, by visiting: www.justgiving.com/page/joshua-patterson-runfor1million.
He has so far completed 44 marathons in as many days.
Josh added: “I’m loving it. Today, I ran a marathon with a girl whose sister took her own life three weeks ago, and it just brought home the importance of this challenge.
“She ran her first half-marathon a couple of weeks ago, and today ran the full marathon, so I feel incredibly privileged to be a part of that.
“I hope it’s given her something to feel even slightly positive about.
“There was a 21-year-old in Wrexham who was very aspirational, and ran his first marathon (with Josh).
“I felt incredibly proud to share that experience with him; he was a great guy, with a bright future ahead of him.”
Josh is already the holder of two world record titles – he became the first abled-bodied person to travel from John O’Groats to Lands’ End using a wheelchair in just 19 days, making him the fastest person to do so.
He later achieved another world’s first, in completing four marathons in a 24-hour period across the four nations of the UK.
For support, you can contact the Samaritans by calling 116 123.
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