Man ran 10 marathons in 5 days for Ukraine

By Kate Pounds via SWNS

A personal trainer is running a staggering 10 marathons in just five days to raise money for Ukrainian refugees.

Jake Dearden, 23, began his impressive effort - which will see him cover more than 260 miles - on Saturday morning (March 26).

He ran in Manchester, England to complete two full marathons a day, finishing on Wednesday evening (March 30).

Proceeds will go to the Red Cross, to support those fleeing the Russian invasion.

The fitness fanatic ate around 9,000 calories each day to prepare.

Jake, who lives with girlfriend Emily Welby, 22, said: "I just keep seeing the people in Ukraine going through so much trauma and suffering.

And I kept thinking that we're so fortunate we can just carry on with our lives. It's absolutely devastating what's happening to them.

"I just want to help, and this is something I can do. I love running. I get such a physical and mental buzz from it and I love to challenge myself.

"I picked something really challenging to encourage people to give money so I could create something really positive."

He has completed several marathons before, with a personal best time of three hours and six minutes.

He has also completed ultramarathons, which can top 60 miles.

He started each day at 4:30 am, eating 1,000 calories of jelly bagels, bananas and orange juice before showering and hitting the road at 6 am.

He carried two to three-liter bottles of water plus sports gels, Haribo, nuts and dried fruits to sustain him through the four to five-hour runs.

Then, after a bath, lunch and a nap, he began the second daily marathon at 3 pm.

He had five local routes and finishes each day with a cool bath to minimize inflammation.

Jake prefers Italian food such as pasta and pizzas for his 2,000 calorie lunches and dinners to power him through his mammoth days.

Last year he managed seven marathons in seven days, but has never run more than one marathon a day on consecutive days.

Jake used special exercises to strengthen his joints and has twice-weekly sports massages.