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A Plymouth postman has been on an epic journey this month, running the length of mainland Britain. Keegan Woodhall started at John O’Groats and is set to finish the 874-mile journey at Land’s End next week.
The 31-year-old Royal Mail worker has so far raised more than £3,000 for Devon Mind, as Keegan wants to “support them in their fight for mental health”, as well as raising awareness.
As someone who has had his own “personal battles with anxiety and depression”, Keegan hopes to prove to himself and others that “if you truly believe in yourself, you have more power and strength than you realise”.
Keegan started this arduous challenge on August 1 and has endured all weathers in that period. On August 27, Keegan shared when he reached Wellington that “the heavens rained down on me”, leaving him with “soggy feet” and blisters developing.
On average, Keegan is covering between 30 and 35 miles a day. In an update on Thursday, which was day 28 of Keegan’s journey, he confirmed he had finally reached Devon and was set to reach Land’s End on Tuesday, September 2.
Writing from Morchard Bishop, Keegan said: “The charity I’m battling every day for, to help them in their mission to support the people in this county, who struggle with their mental health.
“Up to this point I’ve tried to avoid looking at where I’m at on the map, I’ve just been taking it day by day. But I had to look today, and man, we’ve come a long way since August 1. Still plenty of kilometers left to run, but I’m in a position to announce that in five days time, on Tuesday, September 2, I will reach the Lands End signpost!
“My body is breaking down rapidly, and it’s becoming harder and harder to push through each day. Today was possibly one of the toughest days physically and mentally I’ve had. But as I’ve said before, there is always a high point each day. My postie partner @simon_tremain appeared from out of nowhere to surprise me! He helped me push through by running the last mile of the day with me!
“Throughout my journey, I’ve been sending my GPS link to my close family and friends! For these final few days, I’ll post the link out in my stories each morning, for anyone who wishes to come along and support, or even run a stretch or two with me!”
His mum, Penelope, said she feels so proud of her son and what he has achieved so far. She told PlymouthLive: “The amount of money he has been able to raise has exceeded his expectations.
“It would be fantastic if people could come out and show support for him through his final legs of Devon and Cornwall. Any walkers or runners would be amazing to give him a boost on the final stretch.”
Penelope, who said she has admired her son’s determination, also praised his brother, Taylor, who has “been a fantastic support to him along the way.
Keegan has been left overwhelmed by the donations and support. You can donate to his fundraiser here or follow his journey on Instagram, where he is documenting his journey as ‘halfpintrunner‘.
