Surfboard, Booties, and 26.2 Miles: One Man’s Mission to Run for Cleaner Seas
What do you get when you mix marathon running, a wetsuit, and a surfboard? A Guinness World Record attempt and a passionate campaign for cleaner waters. We caught up with the extraordinary fundraiser, Matthew Hearne, who ran the London Marathon dressed as a surfer – surfboard and all. Here’s how it all went down.
So, what’s your connection to SAS?
I first came across SAS back at uni in Leeds in the mid-‘90s. A mate of mine wore this awesome SAS hoodie, and that was my introduction to the charity.
I studied physical geography, so I’ve always cared about the environment and biodiversity. I’m into open-water swimming, surfing, and diving – so protecting our oceans is a big deal to me. I’ve even ended up sick after swimming in polluted water, so I know first-hand how bad water quality can be. I won’t even eat fish anymore because of the impact pollution and overfishing have on marine life.
Why did you choose to support SAS like this??
After 130+ marathons, people don’t blink when I say I’m doing another one. So, I knew I had to do something different to make people take notice.
I stumbled across a Guinness World Record for “Fastest Marathon Dressed as a Surfer” and thought, yeah, I could beat that. Running with a surfboard? What better charity to support than SAS?
How did you plan this wild challenge?
Honestly? I didn’t. I ran once with the surfboard using a shoulder strap I cobbled together, but that didn’t go smoothly. I’d put Vaseline on to prevent chafing, but it made the strap slide everywhere!
And don’t even get me started on the wetsuit booties. They were like saunas for my feet. By the finish, my toes looked like they’d been soaking in a tub all day. No blisters though, so small wins!
Credit: Sportograf
How did you raise the money? What worked best?
Fundraising gets tougher the more you do it, so you have to get creative. I tapped into my network – friends, family, colleagues and leaned into the novelty of the challenge. If you can create a story that grabs attention that’s half the battle.
Best moment? Worst moment? Funniest moment?
Best: Coming down The Mall and hearing the DJ blast Surfin’ USA by The Beach Boys. It was the perfect finish line soundtrack.
Worst: Surrey Quays. The road surface there is brutal, especially in O’Neill 2mm booties. I was hunting for white road markings because they were the smoothest parts to run on
Funniest: I lost count of how many people yelled “Surf’s up!” at me. If I had a quid for every shout, I’d have smashed my fundraising target!
What’s it like running the London Marathon?
The London Marathon is special. It’s not just a race – it’s a massive wave of community, support, and emotion. You see so many people running “for Mum” or “for Dad.” It gives you goosebumps.
There’s nothing like it. The crowd, the fancy dress, the landmarks – it’s an unforgettable ride from start to finish.
How did the Guinness World Record go?
I beat the previous time by half an hour, but Guinness won’t recognise it because I wore booties instead of flip-flops or going barefoot. Which is ridiculous – no surfer wears flip-flops in the water!
I hope the surf community can back me on this one, so the fight’s not over yet
Any advice for future fundraisers fighting for cleaner seas?
- Find your hook. Whether it’s a costume, a personal story, or a wacky challenge, give people something to talk about.
- Use your network. Your friends and family want you to succeed – let them in.
- Ask your employer about matched funding. Just don’t leave it until the last minute like I did.
