Fundraiser taking on epic challenge to run between 92 football grounds reaches Peterborough

He reached the Weston Homes Stadium on Sunday (November 1) for what was the 62nd leg of his estimated 2500-mile journey- the equivalent of 95 marathons. There he was met by club officials and members of the Posh Foundation who congratulated him and offered him a tour of the club’s home.

He arrived having run the 44 miles from the Sixfields Stadium in Northampton and will pause his efforts, for now, due to the new lockdown restrictions announced on Saturday.

Nathan remains determined to complete the challenge though and when safe to do so, he will return to Peterborough to begin the run to Leicester’s King Power Stadium.

The aim then is to head north and complete the challenge, of which Nathan estimates there is six weeks of running left, at the Crown Oil Arena, the home of his boyhood club, Rochdale.

Nathan, who is an ex-soldier, is doing this to raise money for mental health charity, Mind, and the Joshua Wilson Brian Tumour Charity.

The father-of-one started running in January 2019 as an escape from the depression he was suffering from after losing both his aunt and uncle within six months of each other.

He then came up with the idea for the ‘Run around the grounds’ challenge after completing both the Manchester and Paris marathons and hopes to raise money for charity as well as convey the message that physical activity can help people to manage their mental health.

Nathan started the challenge on March 7 at Manchester United’s Old Trafford and managed to complete nine grounds before the coronavirus pandemic hit, forcing him to postpone the challenge for two months. He is back on the trail now though and has passed the 2/3 distance mark.

He said: “It’s been tough, there has been some hard parts, including Wales, which is very hilly and Dartmoor. I’d say Dartmoor was probably the toughest part of the journey so far, especially when you consider I’m carrying all of my kit with me and I had to camp out there. Coming to the east is actually a bit of relief as I’ve heard it’s quite flat around here.

“I’ve seen so much of the country, I got to run along the south coast in August, which was beautiful and the people I’ve met along the way have been so great.

“I’d say the best welcome I’ve had was from Port Vale, they gave me the full VIP treatment, I had a tour of the ground and got some nice souvenirs.

“I also got into Tottenham’s new ground, which is really nice and modern, it even has its own brewery inside. Arsenal weren’t about to be outdone by their big rivals though and they gave me the opportunity to touch the real FA Cup.”

Nathan has so far raised over £4000 and anyone wishing to donate can click here.