Harry Clough from Hammersmith is attempting to run to every station on the London Underground to shine a light on men’s mental health during Movember.
Kicking off on October 26 at Amersham station, the 26-year-old aims to tick off the 64km Metropolitan line first before tackling the 10 remaining lines, covering over 400km in total.
Harry explains: ‘I have struggled with anxiety and depression throughout my life and I want to do all I can to help other men so they don’t have to go through what I have. I want them to know that there is help and hope and that’s why I decided to undertake my Ultra London Underground Challenge.
‘I will be running the length of the London Underground, one line at a time, starting with the Metropolitan Line and hopefully ending with the Northern Line (The longest of them all) before the end of Movember.’
Harry admits that poor mental health has impacted his life on a daily basis. ‘Looking back at it, I have had anxiety for as long as I can remember, but I really starting getting panic attacks badly at university,’ he says. ‘The most challenging part was at the beginning when I had no idea what panic attacks were (I honestly thought I was dying). Even now it is still tough, but with that knowledge things are slowly getting better.
During challenging times, Harry turns to running and finds that exercise has a positive impact of his mental health.
‘Being active can make you feel so much better (although I know exercise isn’t the answer to everyone). No matter how strong you are, you can be affected by mental health issues and I want all men to know that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, although it may not always look that way.’
Now in its 21st year, Movember has become the leading global men’s health movement, raising awareness and funds for men’s mental health, including suicide prevention, prostate and testicular cancer.
Men’s health is a national concern. Men are dying on average 4.5 years earlier than women, and for largely preventable reasons with 60 men every 60 minutes losing their life to suicide.
Harry knows his Ultra London Underground Challenge is going to push him physically and mentally, but he is motivated to get men to open up more. ‘Men need to know it’s ok to talk about their physical and mental health. That’s why I am supporting Movember in the hope that what I am doing will not only raise money for the charity, but increase awareness of men’s health issues and encourage anyone in need of help to ask for it.’
