Sussex man running a marathon a day in 2024

Mr Cooper aims to raise £703,000 - a pound for every life lost to suicide around the world each year

A man from Sussex is running a marathon every day this year to raise money for a mental health charity.

Due to 2024 being a leap year, James Cooper, from East Grinstead, will run 366 marathons.

Mr Cooper has set a fundraising goal of £703,000 for the Samaritans, marking the 703,000 deaths by suicide every year, as recorded by the World Health Organisation.

Now five weeks into the challenge, the personal trainer said he felt "very proud, excited and a little bit scared".

Mr Cooper eats between five to six thousand calories in a day, which he described as "a battle in itself"

However, he is struggling to eat the 6,000 calories a day he needs for the challenge, which he described as "a battle in itself - it's not fun".

On his website, Mr Cooper said he was inspired to start the challenge as he had battled depression that "rocked him to his core".

During his recovery, he set up an organisation to help people improve their mental health through sport, encouraging them to walk, jog or run a mile a day.

Mr Cooper said taking on the challenge made him feel "proud, exited and a little bit scared"

After completing his daily marathon every morning, Mr Cooper is continuing to work in the afternoons.

Although his personal training clients give him a lot of energy and motivation, he said: "As soon as I finish with them, it’s almost like someone pulls the battery out of me."

However, he is encouraged by the money he was raising.

"To know know that it is impacting people is a really wonderful feeling," he said.

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