Pub to pub from John o'Groats to Land's End: Gary McKee's 900-mile run for hospitality workers

On the evening of Tuesday 11 August, Gary McKee reached Land’s End. He had left John o’Groats on 13 July, and in the 30 days between he had run about 900 miles (1,450 km), an average of roughly 30 miles a day.

McKee, 56, works at a nuclear plant and lives in Cleator Moor, in west Cumbria, where he is known as Marathon Man. This run was for the Licensed Trade Charity, which supports people who work in pubs, bars and other licensed hospitality venues. It was the charity’s first JOGLE Pub Run, and pubs along the route served as welcoming points for the runners, the trade paper Caterer Licensee reported. People from the industry joined him for legs of it.

Most of the company was not on the road at all. The charity ran a virtual version on Strava, the fitness-tracking app, and more than 83,000 people took part, logging over 8 million kilometres between them.

“Over 30 days and 900 miles, every step was powered by the warmth, generosity, and resilience of the hospitality community.” — Gary McKee, in a statement reported by ITV News Border

A summer after 100 marathons

The run came four months after a different kind of challenge. From 17 January to 26 April, McKee ran a marathon a day for 100 days, for the charity Hospice at Home, and finished at the London Marathon alongside his son Beau, 18, the Press Association reported. In June, Prince William presented him with the MBE he had been awarded in the New Year Honours for services to charity and to the Cleator Moor community.

His record goes back years. He ran from Land’s End to John o’Groats in 2011, and in 2022 he ran a marathon every day for a year while working full-time, raising about £1.4 million. By April he had passed 650 marathons since 2017 and 33,000 miles on Strava.

“I’m on my second lap of running around the Earth.” — Gary McKee, to the Press Association

He was frank that this is not what the body is built for. “Just because it isn’t designed to do it, doesn’t mean you can’t do it,” he said.

Why this matters

The 900 miles are the headline; the 83,000 are the point. Other people could join in at whatever scale suited them: a leg of the road, a few miles logged at home, a donation.

There is evidence that taking part pays back. In NCVO’s Time Well Spent survey of volunteers, published in 2023, 89 per cent of recent volunteers said they enjoyed it, 88 per cent said it gave them a sense of achievement and 87 per cent cited the social connection. Three in four said volunteering improved their mental health and wellbeing.

The exercise side is simpler. The NHS (the UK health service) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, spread over four or five days or every day, plus strengthening work on two days. A shared monthly target is a good way to make that spread happen.

Make your miles count

You do not need to run 30 miles a day, or run at all.

• Pick one cause. A local hospice, a club, a charity linked to your old trade. Ask its fundraising team how they like supporters to collect sponsorship.
• Make it a team. A total you build with friends, a club or a workplace is more fun than a solo one, and people who cannot join you on the road can still add their miles from home.
• Build up to back-to-back days. Consecutive days are harder than one long day. Increase the second day gradually and keep the pace easy.
• Check first if you need to. The NHS advises seeing your GP (family doctor) before starting if you have not been active for a while or have a health condition.

For a project with a map instead of a cause, read about Nigel Beecroft running every street in Birmingham. If you would rather give time than miles, our guide to volunteering shows where to start.