Made in Chelsea’s Josh Patterson says he’s a happy ‘solo daddy’ as he smashes half-way point in 76 marathon challenge

6 April 2023, 10:53 | Updated: 6 April 2023, 11:14

Made In Chelsea star Josh Patterson has said he is loving life as a 'solo daddy' while he completes a mega challenge of running 76 marathons in 76 days.

Josh, 33, set himself a challenge last year to run 76 marathons, over 76 consecutive days, in all of the UK's 76 cities – a new world record if achieved, to raise money for the Samaritans.

The former MIC star has previously been candid about his struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts, and challenges like this one have massively helped the star tackle his "demons or hurdles".

But training for a task like this doesn't come without its own struggles, the star told LBC.

"When you’re a father or a mother, and you set yourself a task this big, it’s balancing parenthood and then the training that goes into it."

The cause is of vital importance for parents too, Josh said.

"So many parents are fearful of having lived with mental illness, or living with mental illness and having a child.

"But for me, if my daughter was ever to go through something like that, I'd be able to see the signals and ensure that she gets the right level of support.

"If god forbid, my daughter ever did struggle, she’s got the best person to support her through”.

Since becoming a father, Josh has taken on the role of "solo daddy" full-time, meaning his dating life has been put on the back burner.

"I'm not in any rush" to meet someone, he said. "My focus has been to just continue building such an amazing relationship with my little girl. I’m a solo daddy and just trying to understand that in itself is such a journey.

"If I meet someone, great, but ultimately they’ve got to be the best role model to my little girl. So until that happens, she’s just gonna have to put up with her daddy”.

So far, Josh has run 37 marathons - halfway to his 76 marathon goal - and he has no doubt about his ability to finish what he's started, something made possible by his training team.

"I put together a team of the Avengers equivalent in health and wellness from Until specialist. I had soft tissue therapy, specialist physio, strength and conditioning, biokinetics."

“They were like family – their mindset, mentality and approach to it just made it really relaxing”

With months of tough training and the beginning of the challenge, Josh has had to keep up the calories throughout this mammoth task though, getting sustenance anywhere and everywhere he can.

"Today I've had a microwaved Big Mac from yesterday, a rehydrated thousand calories macaroni and cheese, I’ve just eaten a battered sausage and chips, we bought carrot cake and a creme egg cookie, and tonight I’m having fajitas.

"Right now, I’m burning anywhere from four to five thousand calories a day, I just need to recoup them. I’ve lost a stone since I started this challenge. I can’t really afford to lose two stone."

Although the star might be tired physically - as to be expected after 37 marathons - mentally he's as motivated as ever.

“There is no way in hell I will not finish this challenge. I’ve never not finished a challenge in my life.

"Ultimately, the why behind this is to give a human a reason to live and if I give up, what kind of message does that send to the people we’re trying to inspire to be resilient?"

“In any walk of life, you can be faced with different forms of adversity. What I feel incredibly grateful for is a platform that has been given to me. It’s a platform I’m going to be using until the bitter end”.

Josh started training with his team at Until last October, preparing for a January start, receiving specialist advice and support.

His goal is to raise £1 million for Samaritans by his last marathon in May via his fundraiser.

Until is a London-based holistic hub that has every health, wellness and performance need covered under one roof. Home to over 230 specialists across 25 disciplines, Until offers access to state-of-the-art facilities and industry-leading practitioners at premium locations across London. Find out more at until.co.uk