Cambridge adventurer announces new 700km ‘Great British Dog Walk Challenge'
Mitch Hutchcraft says his new 17-day challenge will take him from the lowest point in the UK to the highest as he meets dog owners and sanctuaries to promote adoption over buying pets.
An adventurer from Cambridge who last year completed the world’s longest climb of Mount Everest has announced his next challenge – a 700-kilometre run to support animal welfare.
Mitch Hutchcraft, 32, will set off on 2 December on what he calls the Great British Dog Walk Challenge. He plans to run 16 back-to-back marathons over 17 days, starting from Britain’s lowest point and finishing at its highest, meeting dog owners and animal rescue centres along the way.
He said: “I want to use this challenge to encourage people to ‘adopt not shop’. Animal sanctuaries across the UK are overrun, and I want families looking for pets to think about giving a home to one that really needs it.”
The new challenge comes exactly six months after Mitch reached the summit of Mount Everest following a 13,000-kilometre triathlon from England to Nepal. The feat began with swimming the English Channel, then cycling across 18 countries to India before running and hiking 900 miles from sea level to the summit.
“It took 237 days, and no one knew if it was even possible,” he said. “I lost nearly 19 kilos, came close to death more than once, and it’s taken months to recover. But I’m thankful to be alive and able to take on something new that can help others.”
Mitch said the Everest challenge taught him to “take each day as it comes” and to find strength in purpose. “If your heart and head believe in what you’re doing, your body will follow,” he said.
He added that this time he hopes to “enjoy the moment more” while still pushing himself. “It’s about showing what’s possible and making a difference — this time for the dogs that need it most.”