Mike Banister, CEO of Hunter Luxury, will undertake a 190+ mile endurance challenge across England this May, running coast-to-coast in just eight days to raise funds for suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and spotlight the urgent need for greater mental health awareness and support.
Starting on 16 May 2026, Banister will join a small team attempting the iconic Coast to Coast route, one of the UK’s most established long-distance trails. The route spans from St. Bees on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea, crossing the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks along the way.
Typically completed over two to three weeks, the journey will be compressed into eight consecutive days of running, transforming a celebrated endurance walk into a high-intensity physical and mental test across some of England’s most demanding terrain.
In total, the challenge equates to roughly 7–7.5 marathons over eight days while navigating remote, mountainous terrain.
The route also presents significant elevation with a total ascent of 24,606 ft, a vertical gain almost equal to scaling Mount Everest.
The challenge has been created to raise funds for CALM, a leading UK mental health charity focused on suicide prevention, crisis support and national stigma reduction. CALM provides a free, confidential helpline and webchat service, alongside campaigns designed to shift cultural attitudes around mental health and encourage earlier intervention when people are struggling.
Suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under the age of 45 in the UK, a statistic that continues to shape the urgency of CALM’s work and the growing demand for accessible, non-judgemental support services.
Funds raised through the challenge will go directly towards sustaining CALM’s frontline services and expanding its reach to those most in need.
“I feel very lucky to have good friends in my life – people I can share laughs with, but also talk to when things feel difficult,” said Banister. “Not everyone has that, and for some, it can become overwhelming.
“Later this month, I’m running 200 miles coast to coast across England with a couple of mates. We’re doing it to raise money for Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a suicide prevention charity working to help people end their misery, not their lives. Every donation helps fund life-saving support for people who feel like they have nowhere to turn.”
Beyond fundraising, the initiative reflects a broader leadership stance from Hunter Luxury, where environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles are embedded into decision-making and culture rather than treated as a standalone agenda. Banister’s participation is positioned as a visible expression of that commitment, linking leadership behaviour directly to social impact and wellbeing.
The Coast to Coast route itself is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most iconic endurance journeys. Starting in Cumbria, it traverses mountain ranges, rural valleys and coastal landscapes before reaching the North Sea, demanding sustained resilience across both physical terrain and environmental conditions.
The public can follow the journey and support fundraising activity here: https://www.coast2coast2026.co.uk/
https://www.justgiving.com/page/mike-banister-3
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