Project 74: The UK’s Newest Ultramarathon Guinness World Record Holder
Essex Ultrarunner Sets New Guinness World Record in Honour of Mum and Brain Injury Charity
For Sam King, the road to a Guinness World Record wasn't paved with gold medals, but with grit, determination, and love for his mother. As of November 26, the Essex based athlete is officially the new male world record holder for consecutive ultramarathons, having logged his 61st 50km run in a row.
But Sam isn't stopping there. He is pushing forward to December 14th to complete "Project 74", a tribute to his 74-year-old mother, Penny.
A Shock to the System
Earlier this year, Sam's life was turned upside down when his mother collapsed in his arms with a brain bleed. The incident was sudden; Penny had been a healthy, active woman in her mid-70s. The trauma of her injury, and her subsequent fight for survival, inspired Sam to leave his job in September and take on the impossible.
"I can’t stress enough how incredible my mum is," Sam said. "She's always been my best friend in the whole world. When she collapsed... it was the worst day of my life."
Photo credit: Matt Bonnar
More Than Just Miles
Sam's background makes the feat even more impressive. A self-described former "overweight gamer," he has completely reinvented himself through the sport of ultrarunning.
His efforts have not gone unnoticed. He has raised over £47,000 for Headway UK, a charity vital to families navigating the aftermath of brain injuries.
Helen Craig, Fundraising Manager at Headway UK, described the feat as "nothing short of extraordinary," noting that King’s resilience is a testament to his commitment to making a difference for survivors of brain injury.
The Final Stretch
With the World Record secured, the focus now shifts to the finish line. Sam has extended the challenge by five days to ensure he hits the 74-day mark, mirroring his mother's age.
You can follow the final weeks of Sam’s journey on Instagram at @fatboysking.
You can donate to Project 74 at: http://givestar.io/gs/project-74
About Headway
Headway is the UK wide charity that provides support services and information to brain injury survivors, their families and carers, as well as to professionals in the health and legal fields. Headway, the brain injury association supports a network of more than 100 independent Headway charities and volunteer-led branches throughout the UK
Key facts
- Every 90 seconds, someone is admitted to a UK hospital with a brain injury.
- The most common forms of brain injury are trauma, stroke, tumour, meningitis, aneurysm, haemorrhage, encephalitis, anoxia, and other conditions.
- The effects of brain injury are often hidden and fluctuating. The cognitive, emotional and behavioural effects of brain injury can have devastating consequences for individuals and their families.
- There were 335,409 UK hospital admissions for brain injury in 2023-24.
- There were approximately 919 UK hospital admissions per day in 2023-24. This equates to one every 90 seconds.
- Males were 1.5x more likely than females to be admitted to a UK hospital for a head injury in 2023-24.
- There were 143,446 UK hospital admissions for stroke in 2023-24. That equates to one every four minutes.
There were 42,892 UK hospital admissions for brain tumours in 2023-24.
