William Goodge is no stranger to extreme challenges – in 2021 he ran an incredible 48 marathons in 30 days, raising £50,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support in the process.
This year, he’s taking on an even tougher challenge. William is running across the breadth of the United States of America, from California to New York City, covering a massive 3,175 miles in 63 days and averaging around 50 miles a day.
And to top it all, William is aiming to become the fastest ever Briton to run this coast-to-coast route.
William (28), who lives in Southwark, took up running to help him process his grief after his mum died from cancer in 2018.
When asked about his reasons for completing this epic challenge for Macmillan, William said:
“The Macmillan nurses who work within the hospital where my mum had most of her treatment were always there for her when she was diagnosed with cancer. Knowing there is an available support system for the cancer patient and the family too was incredible. It’s a tough time for so many people and I found comfort even knowing there was support available if I or my family needed it. Everyone I’ve met in Macmillan has a true heart of gold and the work they do every day is beyond important.
“6,000 people have summited Everest, but only 300 people have run across the US. I’ve run the length of the UK, I’ve run 250km through the Sahara Desert, yet these were nothing compared to what I’m about to do. But what I will be going through will still be nothing compared to what my mum went through and what other cancer patients are going through and so I’m doing it for them.
“I know I’ll succeed, even if I have to crawl to get it done…nothing can stop me. All my previous challenges have been the perfect build-up to what I’m about to do and I’m totally ready for this.”
Andrew Gould, Macmillan Relationship Fundraising Manager, said: “William continues to amaze and inspire us all with his commitment and desire to raise money for Macmillan. In total so far, William has raised over £80,000 for us; an incredible amount which could fund a Macmillan Nurse for over 14 months. We are so proud of him.”
This time around William is hoping to raise £500,000 to help people living with cancer. The funds raised will be split between Macmillan Cancer Support and the American Cancer Society.
William’s epic challenge starts on 2nd April in Huntington Beach, California and ends on 4th June in Central Park, New York City.
Visit Macmillan’s website for fundraising ideas and inspiration: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/fundraise
