Spencer Matthews underwent a long and intense training regime to become the proud holder of a Guinness World Record after completing 30 epic desert marathons in 30 consecutive days.
The former Made in Chelsea star, 36, was greeted by loved ones at the finish line in Jordan on Tuesday after the incredible feat which saw him run the equivalent of the entire length of the UK on sand in scorching heat.
Before his incredible challenge, Spencer put his body through rigorous workouts and pushed himself to the limit to prepare for the enormous feat.
As well as running an impressive 30 kilometres a day, the TV star also endured training in a heat chamber with temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius in order to acclimatise to the marathon conditions.
The heat chamber, which he visited at London South Bank University, simulated the exact conditions of the desert challenge, with Spencer training in high temperatures with 20% humidity.
Spencer Matthews underwent a long and intense training regime to become the proud holder of a Guinness World Record after completing 30 epic desert marathons in 30 consecutive days.
The former Made in Chelsea star, 36, was greeted by loved ones at the finish line in Jordan on Tuesday after the incredible feat which saw him run the equivalent of the entire length of the UK on sand in scorching heat.
Spencer’s epic desert challenge saw him run over 42.2km or 26.2 miles every day.
The father of three documented his time on camera on Instagram, with the star noting that he had 10 sessions of one hour each.
An expert who contacted him at the time said of the method: “One of the benefits of heat acclimation is that you will have a lower initial core temperature, meaning you will have a greater heat storage capacity before you start to reach those high core temperatures.”
However, it proved very difficult for Spencer, who said in an interview that he felt “humiliated” and “very weak” after his first attempt.
He said T3.com In July, before the challenge: The first time I tried it was almost humiliating. I ran very slowly for 20 minutes, lost track of time, and passed out badly. Afterwards I was eating nuts and dates to try to stay in the room, but had to leave after 40 minutes because I was in quite severe pain.
“I went back out for a second hour and there were no problems. I lose about 4.8 kilos each time I do this, but I am now able to sail quite comfortably for two hours.”
The star added that she faced another challenge during training after tearing her IT band at the beginning of her journey.
He said: “That really kicked me into gear and I had to take six weeks off. Thankfully I’ve come through OK and I’m not injured at all, but this sort of thing can really mess you up. If you let it get into your head in a negative way, you’ve already lost the battle before you’ve even gotten there.”
However, Spencer is no stranger to tough challenges, having completed three ultramarathons – the Marathon des Sables (said to be the toughest race on the planet), the Jungle Ultra and the Ice Ultra – before his desert marathons.
Before his incredible challenge, Spencer put his body through rigorous workouts and pushed himself to the limit to prepare for the enormous feat.
As well as running an impressive 30 kilometres a day, the TV star also endured training in a heat chamber (pictured) in temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius in order to acclimatise to marathon conditions.
The heat chamber, which he visited at London South Bank University, simulated the exact conditions of the desert challenge, with Spencer training in high temperatures with 20% humidity.
In July, she took part in a warm-up marathon for Global’s Make Some Noise, where she learned about the amazing charities she would be supporting.
As further preparation for his record attempt, he made trips to Jordan to accustom himself to the terrain and temperature.
In June, he was invited to train with some members of the Kenyan Olympic team at the Nyayo National Stadium, where he achieved his personal best.
In July, she took part in a warm-up marathon for Global’s Make Some Noise, where she learned about the amazing charities she would be supporting.
In addition to physically training his body, Spencer kept a carefully controlled diet and made sure to consume enough food as he burned around 8,000 calories during training days.
The heartthrob ate a balanced diet consisting of vegetables, chicken, fruit, yogurt and rice, as well as taking the Heights supplement.
Spencer broke the world record for most consecutive marathons run on sand, completing his final marathon in 4 hours and 17 minutes.
The presenter ran 30 desert marathons in 30 days and shared a post from Jordan on Tuesday as he celebrated the incredible milestone and his Guinness World Record.
The presenter shared a post from a remote location on Tuesday as he celebrated the incredible milestone with his wife Vogue Williams and set a Guinness World Record.
He was joined at the finish line by his wife Vogue William and his three children, Theodore, five, Gigi, three, and Otto, two, who flew into the Jordanian desert to watch him finish.
He wrote on Instagram: “I DID IT! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!! 30 MARATHONS IN THE DESERT IN 30 CONSECUTIVE DAYS… ALL IN SAND.”
He was joined at the finish line by his wife Vogue Williams and their three children – Theodore, five, Gigi, three, and Otto, two – who flew into the Jordanian desert to watch him finish.
He wrote on Instagram: “I DID IT! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!! 30 MARATHONS IN THE DESERT IN 30 CONSECUTIVE DAYS… ALL IN SAND.
‘I am now an endurance athlete who holds a Guinness record: the first and only person to have successfully run so many consecutive marathons in these extreme conditions. A little over 42.2 km or 26.2 miles, every day.
‘It’s 1,274.02 kilometres of one of the most difficult terrains in the world with no comfort to recover from.
‘I did it to raise awareness and funds for the amazing work @globals_make_some_noise does to support small charities across the UK, making sure no one has to go through life’s toughest challenges alone. (For more detailed information on the causes and specific examples of how your donations can help, check out my most recent pinned post.)
‘So far we’ve raised a staggering £342,508, but as far as I’m concerned we’re just getting started… Please consider donating now if you haven’t already via the link in my bio.
‘100% of your donations go directly to Global’s Make Some Noise and absolutely nothing has or will go to me, my team or the logistics of the challenge.
‘A huge thank you to my amazing support team, without whom this would have been impossible. Their professionalism and constant prevention of problems before they became serious allowed me to achieve this goal. A truly unforgettable trip. What a month! What a feeling!’
