To celebrate his 60th birthday, Bob Yates is embarking on an extraordinary challenge – running the length of the UK at the end of May. Powered entirely by a vegan diet, Bob’s run is not just a personal milestone, but a testament to the strength and stamina that comes with plant-based living.
“When I tell people I’m running 1,000 miles at 60, they’re surprised. When I add that I’m vegan, they’re puzzled and wonder how my diet will give me enough energy to fuel me from one end of the UK to the other,” says Bob. “But the truth is, my vegan diet has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made—for my health, the planet, and animals.”
After living a desk bound life style Bob decided he needed to get healthy and started running on a treadmill with the simple goal of completing a park run and soon built up to marathons and ultra marathons. At the same time Bob began to assess his diet and, after learning about animal welfare concerns and the hidden realities of food labelling, he looked into becoming vegan.
Sparked by the Veganuary campaign over six years ago, he made an overnight switch and never looked back. regular gym-goer and marathon runner, Bob credits a plant-based diet with boosting his energy, aiding recovery, and helping him hit a sub-4-hour marathon personal best.
Bob continues: “I started to cook more and take an interest in what I was consuming. I learned about vegan sources of protein and how to best fuel my body – particularly important as a runner and regular gym goer. I’ve never felt a vegan diet disadvantages me. If anything, I eat better with far less processed foods than I might eat on a traditional diet and its been integral in helping to build my endurance and a swifter recovery.”
Now, after months of intense training and a string of marathons and ultra-races including the recent Manchester Marathon, Bob is about halfway through his ultimate test of endurance of running the length of the UK
Bob is using his epic run to raise £10,000 for Humanity Direct, a charity funding life-saving surgeries for children in Uganda. The money raised will cover the cost of essential operations from neurosurgery to skin grafts for children without access to medical treatment.
“I wanted this run to mean more than just personal achievement,” Bob says. “Knowing that every mile I run will help fund life saving or life changing surgery for a child gives me the strength to keep pushing, even on the toughest days.”
Bob is taking part in Run Britannia, which started at Land’s End on May 31st and will finish at John O’Groats on July 4th.
