British Runner Who Survived Truck Collision Completes Length of Britain

Nick Ashill, a British charity runner, has completed a run across the length of Great Britain, from John o'Groats to Land's End. This accomplishment follows a near-fatal incident in 2017 when Ashill was struck by a pick-up truck while running from Santa Monica to Coney Island in the United States.

The US Incident

During his 2017 run across the U.S., Ashill, then 62, was hit by a vehicle in Ohio. He was thrown into a ditch and left unconscious. At the time of the accident, Ashill was on a Skype call with his ex-wife, Sarah, who was in Cyprus. She was able to alert emergency services to the crash, enabling rescuers to find Ashill and transport him to Ohio State University Hospital. He suffered a shattered pelvis and severe internal injuries, undergoing more than a dozen operations as part of his recovery. Doctors had warned him that he might require a wheelchair or walking stick.

Despite the severe injuries, Ashill defied medical predictions. He eventually returned to the U.S. to complete the cross-country run he had started and also completed a run across Australia.

The Britain Challenge

Ashill's latest endeavor, running the length of Great Britain, began on September 5 and concluded on Friday, October 2. The journey, which covers the distance of a marathon daily for about a month, raised money for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust in memory of his mother. Ashill documented his progress on a Facebook page titled 'Nick Runs Britain.' The route took him from the northeastern Scottish village of John o'Groats, passing near Glasgow, through western England, into Wales, and finally to Land's End in Cornwall.

The run across Britain was not without its difficulties. Ashill required a visit to A&E due to swelling, stiffness, and pain in his leg, which necessitated him cycling for parts of the journey.

This completion makes Ashill one of the few individuals to have successfully run across the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.