Misterton firefighter completed the London Marathon in his full kit

Misterton firefighter Matt Hunt took part in the London Marathon to raise much-needed funds for The Fire Fighters Charity, despite blisters on his feet and having to walk most of the way.
By Shelley Marriott
Published 19th Oct 2021, 10:35 BST
Updated 19th Oct 2021, 10:35 BST
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Not only did Matt sign up to the challenge of completing the marathon, he decided to do it in full fire kit and while wearing a breathing apparatus set.

Matt said: “At the start zone, I was able to soak up the incredible atmosphere and got to meet four other firefighters taking on the challenge.

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“I set off at a nice steady pace and I felt comfortable, but at five miles the backs of my heels started to tingle and I knew I was going to be in trouble.

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Misterton firefighter Matt Hunt completed the London Marathon in his full fire kitMisterton firefighter Matt Hunt completed the London Marathon in his full fire kit
Misterton firefighter Matt Hunt completed the London Marathon in his full fire kit

“By eight miles I couldn’t run anymore as the pain was unbearable so I had to walk the rest to the finish line. This turned into one of the toughest things I had ever done.

“The crowds and supporters were amazing. They were shouting my name and telling me I was doing something special which kept me going.

“At mile 20, I spotted a guy sat by the roadside who looked in agony so I went to see him to see if I could do anything.

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“I managed to encourage him to finish the marathon by my side which we did – we walked the last six miles together and chatted to keep our mind off the pain.

“We walked until we had about 50 metres to go and I said we had to run across the finish line so somehow, that is what we did.

“It was dark and cold but we had just finished the London Marathon.

“I want to thank everyone who supported me during this journey. It took me two hours longer than I thought, I missed my train back and I now have sores all over my body from the kit. However I had a fantastic time and have raised more than £2,000.”

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You can still sponsor Matt via his JustGiving page, www.justgiving.com/fundraising/matthew-hunt75.

A spokesman from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “From behalf of everyone at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, we want to congratulate Matt on this huge achievement.

“Well done for finishing the London Marathon and for raising funds for a charity that is extremely close to our hearts.”

Find out more about the Fire Fighters Charity at www.firefighterscharity.org.uk.

Related topics:Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service