Preston man to attempt 1,720-mile barefoot walking Guinness World Record across Europe

Matthew Strange from Fulwood is looking to achieve a Guinness World Record for the longest barefoot journey by walking 1,720 miles from Gibraltar to St Catherine’s Hospice in Preston via Madrid, Paris, Brussels, Calais and Dover.

The mammoth task will start on Monday, March 11 at 8am, with Matthew flying to Gibraltar four days earlier.

The 26-year-old said: “It’s gone really well; I’ve done everything training-wise that I need to do to toughen up my feet.”

The plan is to walk 20 miles a day, six days a week, meaning Matthew should be finished by day 100.

And St Catherine’s is the destination of choice for Matthew due to the important role it played when his step-dad Simon White was in the final stages of his battle with colon cancer in 2015.

He died in January 2016 but thanks to the care from St Cath’s he was able to stop his dependence on oxygen and return home to be with his family before passing away.

Matthew said St Cath’s was “amazing for him” and the plan is to raise a total of, at the very least, £1,720 for the hospice – or £1 per mile.

Matthew explained: “They show such genuine love and care at the hospice. [Simon] was terrified when he first knew he was going there but within hours he was left with a huge smile on his face. They are so good.”

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mrmatthewstrange