In August of this year Chris Bertins will be attempting to run the length of Great Britain — from Lands End to John O’Groats — in an attempt to challenge himself both mentally and physically as well as put the current record time to the test.

Chris may be getting set to endure one of the toughest sporting challenges there is, but it wasn’t that long ago since the Lincolnshire-based farmer classified himself as a social runner who enjoyed pacing out the odd 10k.

“I had a 14 year break from running after competing in steeplechase and middle distance races during my teens,” explains Chris, who started his career at age 15 and quickly accelerated up the levels, at one point ranking in the UK top 10 for steeplechase.

“I loved track but I developed bad performance anxiety which led to me taking the break. Before each race I would have a panic attack and it eventually led me to suffering anxiety in other areas of my life; sometimes I couldn’t even go into the supermarket. At that time mental health stuff wasn’t at the forefront of the media either.”

In 2000, Chris hung up his running shoes and it wasn’t until the mid 2010’s that he put them back on:

“Initially, I started running 10ks but, me being me, I wanted to push myself more so I tried some ultra marathons,” he says.

Officially, an ultra-marathon is any length of run over 27 miles but Chris prefers to achieve anything over 30 miles: “What really got me into running these distances was that on every corner there is a different question and on every summit is a different view. While these are challenging in their own right I wanted to push myself even more. For me, if a lot of people manage to finish something then it’s not a real challenge.”

The Lands End to John O'Groats route — some 835 miles — is famous within the ultra-community. The current record is held by club runner Andrew Rivett who completed the distance in 9 days 2 hours and 26 minutes back in 2002. While the time still holds the official Guinness record, Rivett is currently under scrutiny as many believe the evidence he provided would not stand up against the current GPS tracking devices and detailed records which could be provided today.

British ultra runner and current six-day European champion Dan Lawson recently finished the length in nine days and 21 hours, just a few hours shy of Rivett’s record.

“I followed Dan’s attempt and wondered if it would be possible for a club runner like myself to even get close to Andy’s record,” says Chris. “I’m not classed as an elite runner so I want to essentially prove Andy right or wrong.”

Chris is currently in the thick of his training, running 120 to 140 miles per week with the odd ‘shock’ weekend thrown in. During the run he’ll be aiming to hit 85 miles per day. Chris is running in aid of four charities; Mind, The RAF Heritage Centre at Honington, Umbrellas Lincoln and Lincolnshire Epilepsy Action.

“I haven’t yet decided which end I'll begin at and I'll make this decision nearer the time. I’ll be aiming to run for approximately 18 hours a day. I love heading out in the mountains, I can get lost for hours as it’s just me and my surroundings, but this run is 98 percent road work so this will be another challenge in itself. I strongly believe I can get close to the record all being well; It’s what I enjoy and I'm as determined as ever.”

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