My Story

I am running 700km for Olly Chessher and Honor Edwards.

I found ultra endurance sport because of them. Two of my closest friends. Two people I lost to suicide. Their deaths didn’t just affect me, they sent shockwaves through everyone who knew them. Losing them changed how I see the world. It changed how I understand grief. It forced me to confront what mental health really means.

They are the reason Check in on a mate exists.

This isn’t just a name. It’s a promise. A commitment to use their stories, their memories, and the pain of losing them to bring people together through sport. To start conversations that people are often too afraid to have. To make it normal to ask someone how they are and to really mean it.

If this prevents even one person from taking their life, then it has all been worth it.

So start looking after yourself. Start checking in on your mates. And when you ask, ask properly. How have you really been?

This challenge is 700km in 13 days. An ultramarathon every single day. From Mizen Head in the south of Ireland to Portrush in Northern Ireland.

It is going to hurt. There will be moments where all I want to do is stop, but that is not an option. Moments where I question why I am doing it.

But I already know the answer.

I am doing it for two people who should still be here.

Check in on a mate.