Running to become the 'Million Pound Man'
Gary McKee ran a marathon every day in 2022, raising more than a £1m for cancer charities along the way
Gary McKee will forever be the Marathon Man.
But now he has earned the right to a new moniker: ‘The Million Pounds Man’.
The 53-year-old, from Cleator Moor in Cumbria, recently completed his 365th marathon, one for every day in 2022.
By doing so he has so-far raised more than £1.3m for cancer charities.
His incredible effort was mirrored by Tony Collier, who ran 5km every day for 365 days.
Tony, who has terminal prostate cancer, completed his own challenge three days after the New Year following a delay caused by a positive test for coronavirus.
He has already raised more than £19,000 for Move Against Cancer.
You can donate to support Gary McKee and Tony Collier via the links below:
Gary is no stranger to fundraising. Previous endeavours have seen him cycle across Brazil, climb Kilimanjaro and trek through New Zealand.
He's also run from Lands' End to John O'Groats, completed 100 marathons in 100 days (and 110 in 110), become the first person to run the Fred Whitton cycle route, and finished seven London marathons.
But his latest challenge topped them all.
Along the way, he ran alongside former Rugby League star Kevin Sinfield - whose ultra running exploits have seen him raise millions to combat MND, helped present the Rugby League World Cup, and finished a track marathon at London’s Olympic Park.
In all, his fundraising efforts currently (as of January 4, 2023) stand at more than £1.1m, with another £200,000 coming in gift aid. The money will go towards Macmillan Cancer Support and Hospice at Home West Cumbria.
Gary started fundraising after his father was diagnosed with cancer in 1997. Victor McKee survived that scare, but died from an unrelated illness in 2005.
“It’s fair to say that everybody has been effected by cancer in some shape or form,” he said.
“The money allows the charities to give the support to the people who need it most, who are in very dark places.
“It’s an alarming number of people who are affected. You just want to reach out with that support, and tell them somebody is there to help them.”
Despite the magnitude of his achievement, Gary said he was only “doing what I’m capable of”.
“If more people did what they were capable of, we’d live in a different world,” he added.
Asked what he thought about people calling him a hero, he said it made him feel “humble”.
But he said: “My heroes are the people who put their lives on the line going into burning buildings or performing life-saving operations.
“I’m just a fundraiser. Just me, the person who I am, doing what I’m capable of.
“I’ve never, ever doubted myself. From the day I said I was going to do it.
“I always hate it when people say ‘he’s attempting to do this’. You don’t attempt to eat your dinner - you just eat it.
“It was all on my terms.”
Although Gary was confident he could finish the challenge, he admitted the thought of those people who would benefit gave him “that warm feeling” to keep going.
“We always say that when it is raining someone is going to walk out of the cancer ward, and ring the bell to signify their treatment is over.
“If they go outside and it is raining, it’ll be the nicest rain they will have ever seen. They may do a little dance in it.
“I say to people, ‘we are dancing in someone else’s rain’ - that’s why we are here. We are here to help them ring that bell.”
He said the running was “never difficult” when compared to “someone going through the cancer journey”.
How Tony Collier ran ‘5k his way’ to raise money for MOVE
While Gary McKee was completing his 365 marathon challenge, another serial fundraiser was running their own race.
Terminal prostate cancer patient, Tony Collier, finished his quest to complete 5km every day for 365 days on January 3.
Including gift aid, he has raised more than £19,000 for the MOVE charity, which aims to inspire people to move against cancer.
Their popular ‘5k Your Way’ initiative is an important part of the parkrun movement.
Prior to his diagnosis, Tony Collier was a sub-elite runner. Despite not starting running until later in life, he finished all six marathon majors and the Comrades Ultra Marathon while in his 50s.
Almost a year after conquering the Comrades, Tony received his diagnosis.
Shocked, his first question to the doctors was whether he could carry on running. The emphatic answer was yes - and Tony has done just that.
Despite facing several medical challenges, he's completed races from the London Marathon to a two-day ultra - raising thousands of pounds for charity along the way.
Most of Gary’s marathons took place on a set route close to his Cleator Moor home.
This had the joint benefit of allowing his supporters to line the route waiting for him to arrive each day, safe in the knowledge he would be passing that way, and for other runners to join him at various points.
Throughout the year, 139 people completed full marathons with Gary.
“It’s been a huge community effort,” he said. “People put out boxes with water and food in.
“There’s little quotes on the boxes and we talk about what those mean to people.
“I’ve had pupils join me from a local academy. They ran five miles each and didn’t complain even though we were soaked to the skin - they were bouncing around like new born lambs.
“It was a joy to see.”
He said even though the challenge was finished, he expects the benefits for the community to continue.
“People have forged relationships that will last for years,” he said. “Some people have used it to escape mental health issues.
“One man is now doing talks on his mental health issues. He’s told people about how exercise is helping him.
“He did 90 marathons with me. Two years ago, he refused to do 5km.
“This is how we have shaped people’s lives.”
But what next for Gary - and will it involve more marathons?
“I often joke with people and say I’m going to burn all my shoes and scatter the ashes on the route.
“But there will be something - I honestly don’t know what.
“It’s the end of a chapter, not the end of an era.”