“This is your one time on the planet to go follow your dreams, hug your family more, to go after what you enjoy the most”. So Nick Butter (30 years old British runner) chose to create history on November 11th 2019, becoming the first human to complete a marathon in every single one of the world’s 196 UN-recognised countries. Nick is incredibly humble and highly capable – a compelling combination.
The 22 month odyssey is not one to be glamorised. It is the result of commitment, grit, immense preparation, faith, agility and an incredible team. Nick logged 455 flights (that’s an average of four a week), accrued nine passports and went through 15 pairs of runners. He ran past erupting volcanoes. He ran through torrential downpours. He ran in 60° heat. He ran 82 laps around Vatican City, 140 laps around an ambassador’s garden in Jamaica and 335 laps around a parking lot in the Marshall Islands to avoid packs of wild dogs.
This conversation looks at how he formed his resolute mindset – with a solid dash of naivety; family and network support and the words of his close friend Kevin Webber etched in his brain. Kevin has terminal prostate cancer and was given a two year life prognosis. He told Nick – “Don’t wait for a diagnosis. Don’t wait for something in your world to kick you up the backside. Don’t wait for something to go wrong in order for you to make a change and follow your dreams.”
We explore the complexity in this World Record and the nuts and bolts of how he constructed the initial blueprint. We discuss the danger, the kindness & support of his loved ones and strangers, how the plan constantly changed, how he compartmentalised the stress and exhaustion to keep moving forward.
You can follow Nick (& I recommend you do):
website: https://www.nickbutter.com/
socials: @nickbutterrun
