West Sussex man to walk to France – and he's running a marathon at either end of the journey

Matt Clayton, 38, will run two marathons in eight days, as well as walking the 115-mile distance between the locations.

He will first take on the Brighton Marathon on Sunday, April 6, before walking to France where he will take on the Paris Marathon a week later, on Sunday, April 13. He hopes to raise £1,000 for The Wynn Trust, a charity supporting boxers who have suffered from brain injuries.

Matt said: “ I want to test myself while raising money and awareness of this brilliant charity. Lots of people haven’t heard of it before, so I hope I can get the organisation known by more people.

“I’m looking forward to it. In Brighton I’m looking to get a good time, in Paris I’m just hoping my legs can get round and I’ll enjoy the scenery. Two marathons in eight days should be an achievement and will give me two more medals to hang on the wall at home.”

Matt, of Dingley Road, completed an endurance challenge in 2023 when he rode his bicycle from Edinburgh to Rustington in four days. He said it was the success of the ride and discovering he enjoyed the mental and physical side of a tough challenge that gave him the idea to tackle another fundraiser.

Matt previously ran the Brighton Marathon in 2021 to raise money for St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Chichester, when he completed it in 4 hours and 45 minutes. This time around, he hopes to run it in under 4 hours. He will then walk straight to Newhaven, where he will take the overnight ferry to Dieppe, and will then start four days of walking between 22 and 31 miles a day. He hopes to have two rest days in Paris before tackling the Paris Marathon.

He said: “If I can get some nice weather it should be a nice challenge. I want to test myself while raising money and awareness of this brilliant charity. I’m not a boxer, but my friend introduced me to the people that run it. I’m very into my sports, so I’m really happy to support such a good cause.”

Matt, a heating engineer who works for Stocker and Sons in West Chiltington, gave up alcohol at the end of 2023. He said since then he has focused on improving his fitness and has got very into running.

“Last year did six half marathons, including one in Amsterdam,” he added. “Now I’m running five times a week with various running clubs and have got really into it. It changed my life mentally, I absolutely adore it. I will definitely give it my best shot. I’m relying on that ‘when the going gets tough’ mentality to get me through.”

Matt’s target is £1,000. To sponsor him, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/matt-clayton-1733757851568?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fmatt-clayton-1733757851568&utm_source=whatsapp&utm_campaign=pfp-whatsapp