Nick Butter is best known as the first person in history to complete a marathon in each of the world’s 196 countries, having been shot at, mugged and suffering a minor heart attack. He has run just shy of 1000 marathons but always returns to talking about one very special marathon, the Sierra Leone Marathon, which he first ran in 2016 and is organised by Street Child.
In June 2022 Nick will run the Sierra Leone marathon on the event’s 10th anniversary and on his participation at the race said
“I’ve run a marathon in every country in the world but the Sierra Leone Marathon is my favourite. Sierra Leone is a special place. Desperately poor, and yet those without often give everything they have to support strangers. With the Street Child marathon, you can’t fail to see the true country. All the good and all the need. The smiles and joy I experienced from many of the locals will stay with me forever.”
Amid searing temperatures, runners wind through tropical jungle and traditional villages while raising money for Street Child. Street Child works to ensure children are safe, in school and learning in low resource environments and emergencies such as Afghanistan, Nigeria, Cameroon and Bangladesh. The racing adventure finishes back at Wusum stadium to a hand-carved medal and a cold beer.
CEO and founder Tom Dannatt added “For those still undecided about running the Sierra Leone marathon this year, Nick has run a marathon in 196 countries and this is still his favourite, need I say any more? We are thrilled to have Nick running with us in Makeni and can’t wait to pick his brains on how to handle the high temperatures and humidity”.
Fellow runners have the opportunity to win a place to run alongside Nick in Sierra Leone, further details of the competition will be announced on @streetchilduk and @nickbutterun Instagram on 10th January. Please do follow both Instagram accounts to be able to enter.
For further information about the marathon: https://www.street-child.co.uk/sierra-leone-marathon
About Street Child:
Street Child is one of the world’s fastest-growing international children’s charities, established in 2008. Street Child works to ensure children are safe, in school and learning even, and especially, in low resource environments and emergencies. We work with an expanding network of 95+ local organisations and a focus on the power and purpose of inspirational local level organisations sits at the heart of all we do – and has done so since our first partnership in Sierra Leone in 2008. Today Street Child works across 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.