Novice runner completes seven marathons in seven days for wild fish charity

A student who started running earlier this year has completed seven marathons in seven days to raise funds for a wild fish charity.

Lucca Froud, 20, began his feat in Marble Arch, London, and ran 200 miles to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in a bid to raise £35,000 for Wildfish.

He was inspired to take up the challenge after a meeting with Nick Measham, chief executive of the charity, which campaigns to protect fish and their waters.

The politics and international relations student from London, who studies at the University of Bristol, is a keen footballer but only started running in January.

Mr Froud, who completed his adventure with his girlfriend’s support on September 19, described it as the “best and worst thing” he had ever done – battling calf and knee injuries as well as “relentless hot weather”.

He said: “At times it felt impossible, but we found a way to make it happen.

“Knowing that you aren’t doing it just for yourself, but for something important and to make your family and your girlfriend’s family proud, makes it easier.

“The support from friends and family and people online has been amazing too.

“We walked the last few miles to the Arc de Triomphe just taking it all in – we kept looking at each other like ‘this is really happening, we are really going to do it’.”

Mr Froud ran for around five hours each day during the challenge, finishing in Paris at 5pm on Tuesday.

He has raised around £8,000 for Wildfish and hopes more donations will be received this week.

Describing his inspiration for the challenge, Mr Froud said he had “loved” spending most summers fishing off the beach in Dorset.

He recalled swimming among hundreds of sea bass along the shoreline of the beach, adding that fishing and swimming with fish were two of the things he enjoyed most in life.

“Unfortunately, as things stand, my children likely won’t have the chance to experience them,” Mr Froud added.

“If you really believe in something, you should do what you can to help. Climate change is the most significant threat to humans and the natural world.

“Central to preventing it is our natural waters, our ocean and our rivers. Aside from being incredibly beautiful ecosystems, they’re incredible carbon sinks, so it’s in everyone’s collective interest to protect them.”

Wildfish, which is based in Salisbury, Wiltshire, has been a charity since 2008 and aims to conserve freshwater fish species and their habitats.

Mr Measham, chief executive of the charity, said: “We hope that Lucca’s enthusiasm for wild fish conservation and this remarkable test of endurance will help to raise awareness of the urgent need for change.”

The fundraising page for Mr Froud’s challenge is www.justgiving.com/page/lucca-froud-londontoparis-7in7