Matt Beardshall
After a charity run in the Peak District, Matt, Vin and Mal decide to raise the stakes by running from St Bees Head on the Cumbrian coast to Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire. On a sunny May morning in 2006, they set off on a seven-day, 180-mile west-to-east coast challenge to take in the Lakeland fells, the limestone dales, the wild North York Moors and all points in between. With Mal in competition on his mountain-bike and the other two on foot, supported by Andy and Justin in a chase-car, they find themselves, despite 18 months of rigorous planning, facing a variety of unforeseen situations involving the weather, the terrain and the local wildlife. However, as Matt realises in this lively and detailed mile-by-mile account, their biggest challenge comes from themselves. Pushing their levels of endurance to the limit, they undertake the equivalent of seven consecutive mountainous marathons with all the attendant pain and despair and the ultimate goal of reaching the North Sea - on time, on course and still on their feet.
