Meet the man who ran from South Shields to Paris for two mental health charities

Joe Larkin, the owner of South Shields-based running club Believe to Run, is celebrating a huge achievement after he ran 485 miles from South Shields to Paris.

The 29-year-old set off on the mammoth challenge on Sunday, July 14, and he arrived in the French capital on Friday, July 26 - resulting in 13 days straight of running.

Joe took on the challenge to raise money for Space North East and Samaritans, two charities that help people with their mental health.

Speaking to the Shields Gazette after completing the impressive feat, Joe has given an insight into how the challenge went and how he felt when he arrived in Paris.

He said: “Back in October last year, I ran a 150-mile ultramarathon which was my first big challenge and because I love to push myself to the limit, I wanted to do something even bigger and meaningful to me.

“Then I thought about running to Paris in time for the Olympics starting because I wanted to inspire people and show what it looks like when you don’t give up.

“This is something that we work on a lot in my Believe to Run running club as we aim to help people improve both their running and their mental resilience.

“During the run, I was in pain for 13 days straight with injuries throughout my body, I was running in 30°C+ heat and there was a lot of elevation, especially in the French countryside, which made it even harder.

“For most of the time, I was just running alone with my thoughts and when things begin to get uncomfortable, you start to question whether or not you can do it.

“When I got to Paris, a lot of the city was shut off due to the Olympics opening ceremony. I was aiming to reach the Eiffel Tower but had to stop at the Arc de Triomphe.

“It is a euphoric feeling and the whole thing is still sinking in - at the time it just felt like a relief due to how tired I was.”

At the time of writing, Joe has raised £4,465 of his £5,000 target and he is already setting his sights on coming up with a new challenge.

Stay up to date with the Shields Gazette’s latest headlines and get a newsletter delivered to your inbox

He added: “I’m very passionate about supporting people with their mental health, especially young men, so it fulfils me to know that I’ve raised money for organisations that can help people who are struggling.

“If people are struggling, I want to keep doing things that can inspire them and hopefully help them out in the long run.

“I’m not sure what is next for me in terms of a big challenge like this but I’m aiming to run a sub-three-hour marathon later this year.

“I always want to push myself and I want to find out what my breaking point is so whatever is next will be very big.”

You can continue to donate to Joe’s fundraiser by visiting: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/joseph-larkin.

If you want to learn more about Believe to Run, you can by visiting: https://www.facebook.com/Believetorunn or https://www.instagram.com/believetorunn/.