Ben Smith - 401

For Kyle

And the thousands of people that made The 401 Challenge
the success it was, you know who you are.

Contents

Over the years, Ive met lots of people doing crazy, ambitious challenges. Many of them have remarkable, often heartbreaking, stories to tell. Most of them are genuine people, and I try to support them as much as I can, but I usually see them once and never again. Not Ben. From the moment I met him, I knew there was something special about him. It wasnt just what he was doing although completing 401 marathons in 401 days is obviously remarkable in itself it was also how he was doing it. It was his incredible charisma. It was the smile that never seemed to leave his face. It was his extraordinary enthusiasm and energy. I loved that he stopped off for coffee and cake every day. I loved that he got people off their sofas and running. Most of all, I loved that hed had the courage to change his life and step into the unknown.

When I first heard about Ben and The 401 Challenge, I did think he was slightly mad. What he was trying to do was way out there, beyond anything Id heard about. But I always thought hed do it. On the first day I met him, I was lucky enough to watch him tell his story to a roomful of teenage kids, and it came straight from the heart. I like that about Ben: what you see is what you get. He spoke about how he was bullied at school, how he had tried to take his own life. But the main message I took away from that talk was to be yourself, do what you want to do, and not what others think you should do. It sounds like a simple message, but his story has so many layers to it, which is why Ben inspires so many people for so many different reasons. Doing 401 marathons in 401 days could be pretty boring, but Ben brought so much more to it.

People tell me all the time: I used to run against you, back in the day. I must have heard that line a thousand times. At some point, they stopped running and started doing other things. People so easily end up doing things in life they dont want to do, and then, 10 or 20 years down the line, they think to themselves: How on earth did I end up here? This isnt what I wanted to do with my life. In Ben, I recognised somebody who saw that his life wasnt going the way he wanted it to, and was brave enough and strong enough to alter its direction Hang on a minute, there are other things I want to do, and other things I need to do. Thats why we hit it off and remain such good friends. His is a great story, and one I like to share with as many people as possible.

Steve Cram, former 1500m world champion and 1500m
and mile world record holder

I remember being told about The 401 Challenge and thinking: This guy is a complete nutter. Then I got to know him and why he was doing it. He was such an unassuming, modest person, but I could feel his inner strength. Just running 401 marathons is really inspirational, but the fact that he was such a genuine and normal guy made his story that much stronger.

I did have misgivings about him running 401 marathons in 401 days, but I think he did, too. The Challenge was obviously going to be physically tough. Elite athletes just couldnt get their heads around doing seven marathons in a week, let alone what he was trying to do. My peak mileage was 151 miles in a week, and he was doing more than 180 miles in a week, for 57 weeks in a row. So I did think his body was going to fall apart. And, in fairness, it did. But I also thought the mental side would be tougher. Day 401 must seem a long, long way off when youve only done 99 marathons, or 150, or 200. Or one! But because of his extraordinary mental strength and focus, he was able to shrug that off, get out there, day after day, and hold it all together.

So many people end up on a path they dont really want to be on, but they havent got the strength and courage to turn back and try another way instead. But he taught people that its never too late to completely change your life around and be the person you really want to be. And hes motivated so many kids and adults who have been bullied to rebuild their self-confidence, and therefore their lives. Bens story has helped so many people, but he doesnt think he is special, which is what is so special about him. I love that I got to meet him. I admire him so much.

Paula Radcliffe, marathon world record holder

My footsteps are soft drumbeats on the sand, easing my body back into a rhythm. And every step I take, I discover another piece of myself. I know it sounds clichd, but not as clichd as the drudgery of my old existence: a job that was draining my soul, big bucks, big house, big car, pension plan, two holidays a year I was too stressed to enjoy. In other words, what success is supposed to look like and therefore how most people choose to live.

Life is a series of choices, which is not what everybody wants to hear, because it reminds them they are ultimately responsible for their own contentment. They wake up every morning, commute to the office, come home, sit in front of the TV because they are too mentally drained to think of an alternative and enjoy all the other things they have worked so hard to buy and repeat, ad nauseam . And all the while theyre hoping for something more. I know, because this was my life feeling trapped, groaning inside, conforming to what I thought society deemed to be success. But here I am, cresting a dune on a beach in Northumberland Holy Island stretched out in front of me, Bamburgh Castle to my left, sun directly above me, not a soul in sight to share the view with. I take a seat and think: Obviously this was meant to be just me, on a deserted beach, taking everything in, exactly at this moment. Maybe, maybe not. Id hate to think we live in a world where theres no element of control. I dont believe our lives are mapped out for us, but its our choices which ultimately put us on the paths we end up following. And its the paths we follow which dictate our landscapes. People sometimes say to me: I cant do what you did. Its easier said than done, its not that simple. But it is that simple, which isnt the same as saying its not hard. Running is just putting one foot in front of the other thats the simple bit the hard part is choosing to go running in the first place. But once you make that choice, you can start putting distance between your old life and closing in on a new one.

Running was the thing I found that made me truly happy, and it works nicely as a metaphor freedom, taking steps, leaving things behind but it can be anything. Everybody has something inside them that will make them happy, and in my opinion you just need to find out what that is. And when you find out, youll see that security isnt the same as happiness. But because weve become so programmed to believe that happiness is quantified by the materialistic stuff we have and because the head so often rules the heart too many people think theyre happy when theyre not, so they dont even bother looking for it. Its like that old quote says: lots of people die with their song still inside them. Even choosing to look takes guts its one thing discovering what makes you happy, another following it through, because that can lead to taking risks. And risk-taking isnt for everybody. Dare I say it, neither is happiness.

I look at my wrist exactly 5000 miles on the clock. Thats a long way from my old existence, but it all started with a single step. Time to go back to work, Ive still got 5506 miles to go. But Im not going to sit around and moan about it. One foot in front of the other, soft drumbeats on the sand, easing my body back into that rhythm again, thinking: No possessions, no money, no idea where the next wage is coming from, all ties severed from my old life. But Im not worried, Ill find something, what will be, will be Some people might call it drifting, but the smile on my face says its an exciting way to live.