James Cooper, a 37-year-old personal trainer from East Grinstead, West Sussex, has completed an extraordinary challenge of running a marathon every single day throughout 2024, including Christmas Day, to raise funds for suicide prevention charity Samaritans. Tomorrow, on New Year’s Eve, Cooper will cross the finish line after completing his 366th marathon, marking the end of his remarkable year-long journey.
The challenge, known as Smilinggg 366, has seen Cooper run a total of 9,589.2 miles – the equivalent of running to Australia. Despite the gruelling nature of the challenge, Cooper has shown incredible resilience, overcoming both physical and emotional obstacles along the way. His fundraising efforts have raised over £72,000 for Samaritans, helping the charity’s volunteers answer more than 7,200 life-changing calls from people struggling with their mental health.
Having experienced personal mental health struggles and losing his uncle to suicide, Cooper is passionate about ending the stigma surrounding suicide and encouraging open conversations about mental health. Reflecting on his challenge, Cooper explained: “We’re so much more capable of overcoming our challenges than we realise. Hopefully, people will take inspiration from my journey and realise it’s possible to tackle and overcome the hurdles in front of us.”
Cooper has faced numerous physical challenges during the year, including ankle pain that nearly forced him to abandon the challenge early on. “The hardest part was two or three weeks into the challenge when I could hardly run due to pain in my ankle. I was anxious about not being able to continue, but I pushed through,” he recalled.
In addition to running solo, Cooper also organised monthly community runs, where participants of all abilities joined him, some running their first-ever marathons. One particularly emotional moment came when Cooper’s fiancée, Annabel, ran her first marathon in March, five years to the day from when she attempted suicide. The support she received from Samaritans during her dark time made the run even more meaningful.
Cooper averaged five hours of running each day, starting at 6am before working in the afternoons. In total, he will have spent nearly 1,800 hours running throughout the year – the equivalent of running non-stop for more than 75 consecutive days and nights. Despite the challenges posed by storms, mud, heatwaves, and snow, Cooper hasn’t missed a single day of the challenge.
Looking ahead to the future, Cooper plans to take a well-earned rest on New Year’s Day before starting his recovery process in the new year. He acknowledged the sacrifices made during the challenge, including seeing friends and family less often and missing out on holidays and late nights. However, he sees the privilege of being able to complete such a challenge as far outweighing the sacrifices.
Julie Bentley, CEO of Samaritans, praised Cooper for his dedication, saying, “James is an absolute superstar! His commitment to supporting Samaritans volunteers is remarkable, and he should be incredibly proud of the impact he’s had on people’s lives.” To donate to James’ fundraising page, visit www.justgiving.com/page/smilinggg366
