Meet Rafe Colman Chadwick: The University of York student running the length of the UK for charity

This summer, University of York student Rafe Coleman-Chadwick is embarking on a 800-mile run, aiming to cover the entire length of the UK.

Rafe is attempting to run from John o’Grants to Land’s End to raise money for Brain Tumour Research.

The purpose of his run is to raise money in the memory of his father who passed away from a brain tumour in 2018, when Rafe was only 12 years old.

This is the second physical challenge the 20-year-old has taken on. In 2024 he ran the London marathon, raising £10,000 for Brain Tumour Research. The marathon marked the first time he spoke publicly about his dad.

Rafe battled an infected spider bite and tonsillitis on only day one

Rafe spoke to the The York Tab about his challenge and the progress he’s making.

Updating us first on how the run was going, Rafe explained how on day 13 of his run he was still managing to enjoy it. He shared the early obstacles he faced: “I was set back by a leg infection from a spider bite and tonsillitis at the beginning of the run”. Despite this, he has been able to quickly overcome them, as he reached Lancaster this week.

Speaking about running through Scotland, he expressed that while the landscapes were beautiful the hills were getting increasingly challenging.

Rafe’s aim is to normalise the conversations around grief

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Speaking more directly on the motivations for the run, Rafe told The York Tab: “The main aim of the run is to talk about grief more, we need to normalise the conversation on the topic for young people”.

He confided, that for the first five years following his dad passing away, he didn’t speak to anyone about it.

The turning point for Rafe was his GCSE speaking exam, he told us that he made a “split second” decision to share the story of his dad and his experience. He went to explain, the result of that decision was the “stress fulling of his shoulders”, as he realised he was alone.

From this moment onwards, Rafe has began to talk about the loss his dad more with both friends and family. Pushing to try and normalise the aim around the grief, which has become the central objective of his run.

This run is the second physical challenge Rafe has taken on

Rafe’s 800 mile run is the second challenge he has undertaken to raise money for Brain Cancer Research. In 2024 he also completed the London Marathon.

Despite both these challenges being physically gruelling, Rafe remarked on how he had never actually been a runner. He told us how in 2024, he only trained for six months. While for run of the UK, he’s only been training for the last five months.

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Speaking on his decision to undertake both these challenges, he explained that he didn’t want to take life for granted and if he was going to do something, he wanted to “go really big”, on that something. Hence his decision to run both the London Marathon and the length of the UK.

Rafe has been support by family, students and brands

While Rafe is competing this run as a one man team, he made it clear that this would not be possible without the rallying of support around him.

He spoke gratefully of the support he had received from student content creators from the University of York, who have used their platforms to bring attention to the important cause Rafe is running for.

Most importantly, Rafe extended a large amount of gratitude to his mum, he told The York Tab that this run would “not have even been plausible” if it was not for the sacrifices made by her. Rafe explained that “she’s invested her own money, taken time off work and missed out on holidays with her friends” in order to support Rafe in his efforts to raise money for Brain Cancer Research.

Moreover, Rafe explained the impact and reach of his run, adding that he received an “endorsement” from Puma. When he explained how the relationship between the brand the 20-year-old came about, he shared that: “My aunt reached out to the brand, sharing my story”. Much to his surprise, the brand responded, extending their support for his run through sending him a pair of running shoes.

When I asked how those shoes have helped his run, Rafe was quick to that they are like “walking on a trampoline.”

‘Discipline is dedication, dedication is work’

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Speaking on the determination that it has taken Rafe to be able to start this challenge, he shared that while a lot of people think what he’d doing is unbelievably hard but  “it is not as hard as you think.”

Rafe noted that it is “consistency, discipline and dedication” which has made this challenge possible. It is the combination of these values which he would like people to remember when he finishes the challenge. Summing it up as: “Discipline is dedication, dedication is work”.

If you are inspired by Rafe’s story and would like to donate, he is raising money on his JustGiving page.

If you or anyone you know has been affected by trauma, distress, or a shocking incident, please do not hesitate to reach out for support. You can contact organisations such as Samaritans or Mind for confidential help and advice.

You can contact Samaritans by calling 116 123. They are available 24/7 to provide emotional support to anyone in distress.

Mind offers advice and support for anyone struggling with mental health. You can contact them on 0300 123 3393 or visit their website for further information.