Marcus Skeet
Marcus Skeet | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 February 2008 Malton, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Other names | The Hull Boy |
| Occupation(s) | Endurance runner, influencer |
Marcus Skeet (born 10 February 2008), known online as The Hull Boy, is an English endurance runner and influencer. In May 2025, he became the youngest person to run the length of the Great Britain.[1]
Early life
[edit]Skeet was born in Malton, North Yorkshire, on 10 February 2008. He grew up in nearby Norton-on-Derwent with his parents Philip and Jayne Skeet.[2]
Running
[edit]Mile-a-day challenge
[edit]After losing a friend to suicide, Skeet decided to raise money for the mental health charity Mind by challenging himself to run a mile a day for the entirety of April 2024. Due to his age, Skeet garnered media attention across the country, including Russ Cook, known online as Hardest Geezer.[3] Cook, who had just become the first known person to run the latitudinal length of Africa,[4] decided to join Skeet for the final mile of his journey.[3] On 30 April, the duo completed the last leg of the challenge, running through Green Park, near Buckingham Palace, in London.[5]
Continued philanthropy and marathon training
[edit]Skeet continued raising money for Mind following his challenge's completion. Ahead of running a marathon in September 2024, he received a £5,000 donation from former NFL player J. J. Watt.[6] The marathon in question was completed alongside Russ Cook in Hyde Park, very close to where the two finished Skeet's mile-a-day challenge five months earlier.[7]
Land's End to John o' Groats
[edit]On 1 April 2025, exactly a year after setting off on his mile-a-day challenge, Skeet began the ultramarathon of running from Land's End to John o' Groats.[7][8] The 837-mile journey took him from the most southwestern point of Great Britain at Land's End, in Cornwall, England, to the most northeastern point at John o' Groats, in Caithness, Scotland. On 4 April, Skeet received support on Twitter from four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah.[7][8][9] Twenty days later, on 24 April, when running towards Warrington, Cheshire, Skeet was met by fellow ultramarathon runner Rob Pope.[7][10] He was also joined on the run that day by Coronation Street actor Colson Smith.[7][11] After 58 days of running, Skeet completed his journey, and in turn became the youngest person to complete the feat, and the only person to complete it whilst under 18. Not only that, but by the time he reached John o' Groats, he had raised £130,000 for Mind.[1][2][7]
Pride of Britain award
[edit]On 22 October 2025, Skeet received the Pride of Britain Special Recognition award for his achievements.[12]
Personal life
[edit]Skeet is a boyhood supporter of association football club Hull City, reflected in his online alias.[7] Prior to running from Land's End to John o' Groats, then-Hull head coach Rubén Sellés wrote to Skeet to show his support and respect ahead of the upcoming challenge.[13]
In his early teenage years, Skeet was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, and OCD.[7] Furthermore, in 2019, his father was diagnosed with non-curable dementia.[14] In the years since, Skeet and his mother have worked as carers for his father.[7]
In December 2023, at only 15 years old, Skeet attempted to commit suicide. In a 2025 interview with The Guardian, he admitted that after the incident he felt "an overwhelming feeling of guilt, and regret, that [showed him] that deep down [he] still did want to be [alive]".[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Modak, Naj (30 May 2025). "Marcus goes the extra miles to set a new record". BBC News. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ a b Darley, Karen (30 May 2025). "Marcus Skeet is youngest person to run length of the UK". Darlington and Stockton Times. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ a b Maslin, Eleanor (25 April 2024). "Teen's charity run finale with The Hardest Geezer". BBC News. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ Poole, Harry (7 April 2024). "Cook completes run across Africa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ Maslin, Eleanor (1 May 2024). "Teenager's 'best day' with the Hardest Geezer". BBC News. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "Teenage runner's disbelief at £5,000 donation from NFL star JJ Watt". ITV News. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wollaston, Sam (25 June 2025). "'Life is brutal. Running helps': the 17-year-old who faced despair – and ran the length of Britain". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ a b Hall, Deborah (5 April 2025). "Teenager who is avid Hull City fan attempts to be youngest person ever to run the length of the UK as Sir Mo Farah tells him 'anything is possible'". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ @Mo_Farah (4 April 2025). "Keep going champ! Anything is possible 👏🏾👏🏾" (Tweet). Retrieved 20 August 2025 – via Twitter.
- ^ @run.robla.run; (24 April 2025). "Just had the pleasure of catching up with the superstar that is @thehullboy on the road to #Warrington". Retrieved 20 August 2025 – via Instagram.
- ^ Sansome, Jessica (25 April 2025). "Coronation Street star Colson Smith says 'words are not enough' as support praised after 'sensitive' admission". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ Phillips, Holly (23 October 2025). "'Pride of Britain award win is dream come true'". BBC News. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
- ^ Hoggarth, James (5 February 2025). "Teen taking inspiration from Hull City coach". BBC News. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "Valencia CF alongside Marcus Skeet, a young football fan in viral request for football memorabilia". Valencia CF. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2025.