Sport · Salisbury
Salisbury athlete takes on 1,700km ultra-marathon for mental health awareness
By Swindon Now Editorial Team · Published
Former British Army officer Nick Coats is running across three countries to shine a light on men's mental health, suicide prevention and veterans' wellbeing.
A Salisbury athlete has embarked on an ambitious 1,700km endurance challenge to raise vital awareness for men's mental health and suicide prevention. Nick Coats, a former British Army officer and founder of Embolden High-Performance Coaching, is currently navigating a gruelling route across Albania, Greece and Turkey.
The challenge, titled UNBOUND | Break The Silence, began on 5 September. Mr Coats is covering an average of 46km every day as part of the expedition. The endeavour is entirely self-supported, meaning he is carrying all necessary supplies himself, without the aid of a support crew or a chase vehicle.
Reflecting on the intensity of the challenge, Mr Coats described the physical toll: "I came off the ultra, which had a 70 per cent DNF rate; it was about 38 degrees, and a lot of ascent over technical terrain. I finished feeling pretty beaten up, and then had to set off again."
He noted that the project is driven by a message he believes needs to be heard more widely. "This is the biggest challenge of my life, and quite frankly, it scares me," he said. "This isn't about running 1,700 kilometres; it's about carrying a message that too many people still need to hear."
The journey is scheduled to conclude on 18 October in Turkey, where Mr Coats intends to finish by completing the 119km Cappadocia Ultra Trail. If he successfully reaches the finish line, he could become the first person to have run over 1,600km in preparation for the race. Supporters can follow his progress and contribute to the cause through the Givestar platform.
Source: Salisbury Journal — Sport · View original