Football coach dribbles past £20,000 as he closes in on France

A Staffordshire football coach who set off from Marrakech on 1 May has hit a landmark £20,000 fundraising milestone as he closes in on the French border, over halfway through one of the most extraordinary challenges the country has seen this year.

James Lewis, 26, from Rugeley, is now near Pamplona in northern Spain, having already covered more than 1,500 kilometres on foot since leaving Morocco. He is running approximately 30 miles a day, completely solo, carrying a 15-kilogram pack and dribbling a football every single step of the way, with the aim of reaching home by 19 July, the date of the World Cup final.

The challenge has already thrown up extraordinary obstacles. As well as being chased off the road by a pack of wild dogs in Morocco, James has encountered wild boars, been forced to navigate around a rock fall that blocked his route, partially torn his Achilles and spent nights sleeping on an inflatable mattress under the stars in rural Spain. He will be watching England take on Croatia in the World Cup on his phone, camped at the side of the road near Pamplona.

James is raising money for St Giles Hospice in Staffordshire in memory of his father, David Lewis, who was cared for at the hospice before his death when James was just 11 years old. He has raised more than £55,000 for the charity through previous challenges and has already smashed through £20,000 of his £100,000 target on this challenge alone.

James said: “Hitting £20,000 is absolutely incredible and I am so grateful to everyone who has donated and shared my story. It has not been easy, wild dogs, wild boars, rock falls and sleeping under the stars, but every mile I run is for my dad and for St Giles Hospice. I am nearly in France and I am not stopping now.”

Elinor Eustace, Chief Executive of St Giles Hospice, said: “James has already shown extraordinary determination and courage, and hitting £20,000 is a fantastic milestone. He is over halfway home now and we could not be more proud of everything he is achieving. We cannot wait to see him walk through the door.”

To follow James’s progress and donate, visit www.justgiving.com/page/jameslewis26 or follow @jameslewisruns on TikTok and @xjameslewis on Instagram.