Multi-marathon runner goes the distance for charity

Matt Metcalf likes to do what he describes as one 'awful challenge' per year for charity, when he pushes himself to the limits for a good cause.

As Matt’s dad has hydrocephalus and his gran has spina bifida, this year’s challenge is dedicated to raising money for Shine, the UK’s leading charity specialising in spina bifida, hydrocephalus and related conditions.

Spina bifidameans ‘split spine’ and occurs when the spinal cord does not form correctly during pregnancy. Hydrocephalus, which can present in conjunction with spina bifida or in isolation, means ‘water on the brain’ and occurs when fluid is trapped inside the head, causing damaging pressure inside the skull.

Matt chose to fundraise for Shine because the charity is a cause very important to his family. Having seen how his dad has struggled throughout his life with hydrocephalus and the pain he has been in for years, Matt often wished he could trade their places to give his dad respite.

He says that taking on this challenge, although it is going to be very hard, it isn’t a patch on what people who are struggling with conditions like hydrocephalus and spina bifida can go through.

Matt says; “The pain from running is a beautiful thing because when you stop, it stops, unlike the pain felt by people living with an illness or condition. What I’m trying to do is raise awareness and money on behalf of people that can’t raise money this way themselves.”

Matt intends to split his running efforts across a week to cover the equivalent of a-marathon-a-day over 7 days between 17th—23rd August 2025.

He will be taking on this mammoth effort on his own but hopes that as he gets closer to home that other keen runners, family members, and friends, might join him for parts of the final stretch.

Matt is still finalising his route, but his plan is to travel to surrounding cities – including Sheffield, Halifax, Leeds, Liverpool, Chester, and Stoke – and run his way home to Denton each day to raise valuable funds for Shine.

More that 100 children and adults with spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and associated conditions joined Shine’s membership in the North West of England last year, bringing the number of people looking to Shine for information, advice and practical support to more than 2,000 people across the region. The charity’s membership continues to grow year after year as more people find themselves turning to Shine for support that they cannot access elsewhere.

Chris Greenhalgh, Shine Support Worker based in the North West shared; “Shine Members in the North West reach out to Shine at many different times in life, that can be when they first find out about a diagnosis for themselves or their child, when it comes to school time, with benefits queries, housing support, or assistance later in life; the list goes on. We are here to support people who have Spina Bifida or Hydrocephalus to manage in life, and fundraising efforts like this help make our work possible.”

Matt is a Personal Trainer, so he knows what he needs to do to make his challenge a success and is working hard to get ready for his week-long marathon-a-thon.

Matt says; “I’m feeling confident about the event, though I have had an old Achilles injury creep back in, which has slowed down the training plan. But none the less, it won’t stop me. I will still complete my challenge, even if I have to walk some of the way.”

Matt has raised more than £800 to date and you can support him by donating to Shine through his JustGiving page