I’ve come a long way: Spencer Matthews on most consecutive sand marathons record

Broadcaster Spencer Matthews has said he has “come a long way” after achieving the Guinness World Record for most consecutive marathons run on sand.

The 35-year-old ran 786 miles through the Jordanian desert, in 45 degree heat, to raise funds for Global’s Make Some Noise, beginning in Wadi Rum on the edge of the Arabian desert and finishing near the Dead Sea.

Matthews finished his last marathon in four hours and 17 minutes, and told the PA news agency his “former self definitely wouldn’t believe it”.

He told PA: “My former self definitely wouldn’t believe it, I feel like I’ve personally come quite a long way.

“This marks the end of an incredible journey, but also the beginning of a whole new chapter of my life, I’m deeply overwhelmed and humbled by some of the incredible messages I’m getting from heroes of mine, I feel amazing.”

Matthews shot to fame in the reality TV series Made In Chelsea and has also featured in Celebrity MasterChef and The Jump.

The TV star and non-alcoholic spirits entrepreneur achieved the feat with no serious injuries, and praised his team for keeping the damage down to “niggles”.

He added: “We were able to prevent any injuries from becoming injuries when they were niggles.

“I covered a total of 1,270km, and I ran an additional few hundred metres every day just to make sure the data didn’t short change me at any point.

“It’s kind of impossible to cover that amount of distance without niggles, without pain and aches.

“I had problems with my hips, both knees, achilles tendons, I had (a foot injury) in my right foot quite badly, which means that the tendons on top of your foot are kind of just painful and difficult to put weight through, and on the verge of becoming problematic.

“I surrounded myself with an incredible team of professionals who know what they’re talking about far more than I do, I’m just the get up and go guy.

“They look to prevent all niggles from becoming serious.

“Some advice that James Cracknell gave me, he’s one of my heroes, he said that people like me and him, when you feel pain you just want to push through it and crack on, but with something like this that’s not really an option.

“You have to control the body, and the aches and the pain.”

He also praised the work of his team for allowing him to keep his speed up across the mammoth challenge.

Matthews said: “I’ve just taken every marathon as it came, and the legs loosened up quite early on.

“I’ve been having regular physio every day, I’ve been trying to fuel as well as I can possibly fuel, trying to get the best sleep I can even though it’s been very difficult at times, but I’ve learned quite a bit about the body, I think it’s a pretty amazing thing.

“If pushed to perform, it usually can, I’ve also become more conditioned and better adapted to the terrain and the temperatures.”

So far Matthews has raised £340,757 for Global, which supports charities including the Childhood Tumour Trust, Suicide&Co, and education charities ATF and Playskill.

He is continuing to raise money and is aiming to gather £1 million, with those wishing to donate able to do so by using the link in his Instagram bio.