1,555km, 24 run clubs and one chemical burn later: Esmée Gummer sets sights on Guinness World Record as The Nation's 5k rolls on

Esmée Gummer, the endurance athlete and community leader behind The Nation's 5k, has reached the end of month one of her 5,000km run across the UK and Ireland and has now set her sights on an official Guinness World Records attempt for the most consecutive free 5k events hosted by one person.

Since setting off on 27th June, Esmée has been travelling between 77 cities entirely on foot, arriving at each one to host a free, open-to-all community 5k before running on to the next. By the end of month one, she had covered 1,555km, climbed 16,791m in elevation, hosted 24 free run clubs and welcomed 959 attendees through the door - all in pursuit of a single goal: inspiring one million people to move. The challenge will see her cover 5,000km in 99 consecutive days in total, finishing on 3rd October.

The route hasn't been without its hazards. In early July, Esmée was stung by giant hogweed, the sap-burning plant that lines many of her canal paths and country lanes and has since been treated by a friend who is a surgeon and fellow SAS - Who Dares Wins contestant; the resulting swelling and pain still flare up at night.

"Every single 5k along this route has been about showing up for people, whatever hogweed, hills or bad weather gets in the way. Going for this record isn't really about me - it's proof that a community can turn up, every single time, for each other. If we can do that 77 times in a row, imagine what we can do for good," said Esmée Gummer.

The support hasn't only come from strangers turning up to run. Louise McCullough, a doctor and friend Esmée made during her time on the Channel 4 reality show SAS - Who Dares Wins, has dropped by to cheer her on; her best friend from Essex flew up for a 12-hour round trip just to run a 5k alongside her; her dad joined her for her stint through Northern Ireland; and her mum was with her in Wales. For Esmée, it's the same principle running in both directions - just as she's turning up for 77 communities, the people closest to her have been turning up for her.

Esmée's own journey sits at the heart of the campaign. At 18, she was paralysed following complications during a routine operation and told she might never walk again. She relearned to walk, dance and run, went on to complete marathons and ultra-endurance challenges worldwide. In 2023 she founded The Say Yes Club, a weekly, no-pressure walk/jog/run 5k in East London - the blueprint for The Nation's 5k. What drives her now is accessibility: she wants people to come along regardless of pace, age or experience, and is willing to put her own body through the wringer to make that first step feel easy for everyone else.

Underpinning the whole challenge is the charity fundraising. Every free 5k doubles as a fundraiser, with money split between Wings for Life, Sport In Mind and parkrun, which is also hosting 13 of its own free community events along Esmée's route from Inverness to Cardiff, plus a share going to causes nominated by the public. More than 1,300 people signed up in the first 24 hours after launch, and thousands more have joined since.

Members of the public can find their nearest free 5k via realbuzz and follow Esmée's progress via The Nation's 5k website, donate via her GoFundMe page, or get daily updates from the road through partner app Effitt.