Man raises $1 million for charity after completing 365 marathons in 2022

Gary McKee vowed to complete a marathon every day in 2022 and he committed to that vow... and how! At 53 years old, he's putting everyone else to shame as he just completed his 365th marathon of the year on New Year's Eve. Not only did the father-of-three celebrate completing a 26.2-mile (42km) route with a beer. His efforts also helped raise a whopping £1 million (approximately $11,91,000) to be shared between Macmillan Cancer Support and West Cumbria Hospice at Home.

According to BBC, McKee went through more than 20 pairs of trainers and ran more than 9,500 miles (15,300km) over the course of 2022. He finished his final marathon at about 2 p.m. on December 31. The fitness enthusiast aka "Marathon Man" thanked the "fantastic" reception and said: "The streets were lined. It was raining, but everybody was out clapping and shouting. It was fantastic seeing everybody there. It's something I'll always remember."

In his Just Giving fundraiser, McKee revealed that he's an adventure junkie who has done a whole host of extreme sports. He has "cycled through Brazil, climbed Kilimanjaro and trekked through New Zealand." He's also "jumped out of aeroplanes, walked across hot coals and rowed the equivalent distance of the English Channel (and then back)," McKee wrote. "I've ran from Lands End to John ‘O’ Groats, ran, walked and cycled the C2C, and ran the 3 peaks in 2017 I ran 100 marathons in 100 days. I've ran the Fred Whitton cycle route and completed 7 London marathons (the 1st in 2015 I ran from my home in Cumbria to London and then took part in the marathon)."

The Cumbria native planned on raising funds for charities close to their heart after he learned that many charities suffered big financial losses due to the pandemic as all the main fundraising events were canceled. He decided to take matters into his own hands (and legs) to pitch in "to celebrate the fantastic work that they do."

The charities he supports are incredibly grateful for his gesture. Macmillan Cancer Support tweeted: "Gary McKee has crossed the finish line! A brilliant way to end the year! Congratulations on completing 365 marathons in 2022, that’s a total of 9,563 miles and raising more than £1,000,000 – a phenomenal feat of grit and sheer determination."

According to the Guardian, the director of funding and communications for Hospice At Home West Cumbria, Hayley McKay, said: "It's difficult to put into words how grateful we are to Gary for taking on this unbelievable challenge. The physical and mental strength he has shown is incomprehensible. Gary has not only raised money for two fantastic charities, but he has also sprinkled magic on the local community and brought people together supporting him with the challenge." We agree!