Five days into his epic charity challenge, Gashead Nik Weeks turned to his uncle Tony, who had been accompanying Bristol Rovers' marathon man on a bike as he racked up the miles. "We've only got two marathons to go," Nik said.
"Do you realise what you just said?" was the reply, going some way to capturing the absurdity of taking on seven marathons in seven days as well as the 38-year-old's determination to achieve a goal many would think impossible.
Weeks, a lifelong Rovers fan and a police sergeant at the Port of Bristol, is no newcomer to running. Back in 2020, he covered the marathon distance five times in five days by running to work and back from his home in Coalpit Heath either side of his shift.
That challenge raised money for TOFS, a charity that supports children born with difficulties swallowing, as well as Bristol Rovers Community Trust. All Gasheads have at least some understanding of the fine and important work the charity does, but Nik gained a much deeper insight into the organisation during his first fundraising mission.
So much so that he wanted to do more, and three years later he was back running the streets again, this time running seven full marathons around Bristol and South Gloucestershire in the space of the week. The Community Trust and Rovers' cancer-stricken player Nick Anderton were to be the beneficiaries.
Weeks said his admiration of the trust centres around their work for people of all ages, particularly their support for isolated and vulnerable across Bristol people during the pandemic.
And Anderton, of course, was one of the promotion heroes that helped deliver one of the most glorious moments in the club's history last season, returning to League One with a 7-0 win on the final day. Anderton's subsequent bone cancer diagnosis rocked the fanbase and Gasheads' support is unwavering as the 26-year-old continues chemotherapy. A team head-shave in solidarity raised more than £45,000 for Anderton and his young family.
"I’m continuously proud of the Community Trust," Nik said when asked why he challenged himself to such extremes. "I don’t think they get the credit they deserve and I just thought it would be great to raise some more money for them. I had a good insight into what they do when I did my previous challenge and I’ve got a great relationship with Adam Tutton and I wanted to carry that forward.
"I felt like I was able to do something, so why wouldn’t I? That was the main reason behind it; I am able to help and I thought I should. Supporting a football club is not just about the football, it’s about the club as a whole including the charity.
"It’s superb and it puts the club in a good light and I’m really proud of what they do. The club has got real family club foundations, which I think is important that we have and try to maintain as things progress and the Community Trust are a big part of it.
"And then finding out more about what Nick is going though. It just struck a chord; he’s got two young kids and I’ve got two young kids.
"Nick was living my dream playing for Bristol Rovers and now he’s kind of living my nightmare, so I just wanted to help. With the blessing of the Community Trust, we’re going to pledge a proportion of the money to his fund."
Obviously, the human body is not naturally conditioned to run one marathon, let alone seven, without a strict and detailed training regime. Nik embarked on his in August with support from fellow Gashead Grant Rees, of Planned Fitness Goals. Rees is an expert in triathlon training.
Preparation, of course, featured a lot of running, but there was strengthening to do as well, both physically and mentally.
"We started with a strength and condition phase at the start with shorter runs and as time went on, we increased the mileage week by week, building the load," Nik said.
"Believe it or not, I only ran my first marathon six weeks ago and that was only to psychologically know I could cover the distance. It was a lot of 16-mile runs, sometimes on consecutive days and then building it up in the week and dropping down again with consecutive training days to put my body under stress.
"Grant was also very good with the psychological coping mechanisms. I was going to go through very dark moments, which I did, and it was about how I can cope with that. It was about learning and recognising what I was going to go through and what I could do to get out the other side."
From a physical perspective, Nik knew it was going to be gruelling, although he thinks he got off relatively lightly when it comes to wear and tear. Mentally, it was a hugely taxing 24/7 grind.
"My ankle ballooned on day three for some reason; it was very sore," he recalled. "My hamstring on my left-hand side, there was concern that it might be coming away slightly from the back of my knee, so I had to nurse that through, being very careful with my stride.
"There was joint pain, ankles, knees and for the first time ever I had really bad pain in my hips. I was very tight in my core and around my hips, but it was something I knew was going to happen and we talked about it and I coped with it.
"Trying to decompress was really hard and because I had to remain really hydrated, I didn’t sleep well at all. It was sore, restless legs where you can’t settle and my brain just wouldn’t switch off. It was a 24/7 challenge and to sum it up, on the last day my little girl came in and said ‘Daddy, am I going to see you again now?’
"It struck a chord because for six months, Grant described the marathons as a lap of honour. It was the six months beforehand when I finished work and picked up the kids from school and then I would have to go and train for three or four hours. By then, they’re already in bed, so it affected the family a lot; it wasn’t just me putting time into it and it took a lot out of me.
"In event week, it was 24 hours a day. When I wasn’t running, everything I did was about recovery."
Preparing for dark moments was a significant part of the months of training for the challenge, and they duly arrived.
"Two moments stood out for me," he continued. "Day four, by then I was feeling very tired but also the weather was really bad. It rained non-stop that day and I think it just got to me a little bit being soaking wet, cold, and uncomfortable. I was in the middle of the challenge and the end felt like it was miles away.
"My body was starting to break down as well, so I was dealing with all that. The sheer mental fatigue of getting up in the morning and getting my head around having to run for another five hours. It was difficult.
"The only other time that was a particularly hard moment was about seven miles from the end. I was at Bitton Railway and I had everyone saying to me ‘You’ve done it, you’ve done it’. I was in so much pain on that day and I kind of forgot that I had another marathon to do. People train for months to do just one marathon and I’m on my seventh one in seven days and I think I just lost my focus a bit."
Nik says he is hugely grateful not only for the financial support of the challenge, which has raised more than £11,000 and the kitty is still rising, but the backing he received from friends, family and fellow Gasheads.
"The messages I was receiving on social media were incredible, from Rovers fans and others," he said. " I was having messages with Nick as well and I was getting down to the training ground and the players and staff were great with me. They were calling me mad; athletes saying I was a nutter, which was quite eye-opening for me.
"But a particular mention for my uncle Tony. He was on the bike with me for six days as my support rider, so he did about 170 miles on a bike at low jog speed, which was really hard work for him. He’s 68 years old and he just carried everything for me and I wouldn’t have done it without him, that’s for sure.
"And there are too many to mention, but everybody that came out and ran with me on the route and there were loads of Rovers fans that came out on the route just to clap and shake my hand.
"It would have been impossible to do it on my own. Even though I was the one to sacrifice it all, it was the support that got me through. I know that’s cliché, but it definitely did."
So what of the moment of glory? Nik's final marathon finished at the Mem on Saturday shortly before the Gas were due to face Portsmouth, delivering the match ball before taking in the adulation from all corners of the ground.
"It exceeded my expectations," he said. "I was a bit worried that everyone was going to think ‘Who’s this guy?’ But the reception I got, my family couldn’t believe it and they were so thankful.
"I will never forget that for the rest of my life. As a fan, I would have loved to have played at the Mem in a Rovers shirt, but to get that reception walking out on the pitch is one of the best moments I’ve ever had. The Portsmouth fans were incredible as well and I’m so thankful.
"We’re looking at £11,000 now, which is incredible considering the cost of living crisis, and people donating are not actually donating to receive anything at that event, it’s just pure donations in support of what I did, which I’m really thankful for; I didn’t expect that much to be honest."
As for the future, Nik will continue running, but the days of crazy challenges are almost certainly over, although he says he is keen to help anyone looking to take on a similar assignment in future.
"I will never say never, but I have made a promise to my family that I will never do anything to this extent again," he admitted. "My wife Emma and my kids, Archie and Willow, have basically had to do it on their own for six months.
"I have had a few messages from people who would like to do a challenge themselves and would like to speak to me about supporting them through that, so maybe I’ll look at a supporting role now and help people through because I feel I’ve done my bit, but I’ll never say never and I would certainly help someone who wants do a similar challenge, and the whole point of it was to inspire people.
"Something to this scale, I am probably done with, just because of sacrificing my family and my wife would probably leave me!"
To donate to Nik's fundraising appeal, click here
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