Ex-RAF paratrooper from County Durham sets world record running seven marathons on seven continents
A former RAF paratrooper has set a world record after becoming the first person to run seven marathons in seven days across seven continents for the third time.
Luke Wigman, who was injured after stepping on a mine while on duty in Afghanistan in 2011, is the first person to ever achieve this feat for the third time.
Mr Wigman said: “It’s hard to put into words how incredible it feels.
“To do it three times, I just feel like the luckiest person in the world.
“And to think I’ve done that after what I’ve been through in life is a tremendous feeling.”
The 36-year-old was welcomed home to County Durham by his wife Nikki and two-year-old son Wilf on Wednesday 8 February after running across the world - from Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Brazil and Miami.
The mammoth marathons included five 50km - or 31 miles - ultramarathons.
Mr Wigman said: “It’s been absolutely crazy, I still feel like I’m half asleep.”
The first time Mr Wigman completed the challenge he raised £1 million for the completion of the Defence Rehabilitation Centre, Loughborough.
Mr Wigman, who is an ambassador for the Defence National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) Programme, has championed the importance of its work for those who have suffered life-changing injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The idea of creating a 21st century version of Headley Court - the now-closed rehabilitation centre - stemmed from Gerald Grosvenor, the 6th Duke of Westminster, who served in the reserve army for 40 years.
His son, Hugh Grosvenor – the current Duke of Westminster – remains closely involved in the programme and joined Mr Wigman in Spain to support him on the fifth leg of the challenge.
“They’re taking people that are going through complex injuries, fixing them in a relatively short space of time (and) these individuals are then getting back out in the world, working again and taking on these extreme challenges,” Mr Wigman said.
“I’m just one example of many… They did such a good job of fixing me after stepping on a hidden bomb, I can do these things with my life, I can literally run marathons out on the North Pole.
“And then when you look at the amount of military veterans that have gone through this level of rehabilitation, there’s a lot of them doing incredibly well in life that have very successful careers that are doing astonishing physical feats.”
Mr Wigman explained that the next step in the programme is to build a national rehab centre, also in Loughborough so that other injured veterans can reach their potential too.
He added: “If someone that’s going through a difficult time following a complex injury can follow my story or see what I’ve done, it gives them a bit of self-belief on what it is that’s possible out there and what their potential is.
“Because we all have incredible potential to do amazing things."
Mr Wigman had hoped to complete seven ultramarathons on seven continents in seven days but time constraints meant he could only make it five out of the bunch.
“It’s a different experience every time and I know if I ever went for a fourth time, it would be a new experience again – it’s just the nature of the event.”
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...