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Marathon magic: Twin brothers run 7 marathons in 7 days for mental health awareness

A pair of twin brothers ran seven marathons in seven days. The two completed their final marathon, the 2022 New York City Marathon, to help raise awareness of mental health issues.

Many people will train for months, even years, to run a full 26.2-mile marathon. 

But for the Wade twins, one marathon just wasn’t enough. 

Twin brothers Henry and Will Wade, 30, decided to challenge themselves by completing seven marathons in seven days as a way to bring greater awareness to mental health. 

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The content creator twins from London shared their experiences with Fox News Digital — and explained how they came up with the idea after one of their homes burned down.

"Last year, unfortunately, Will’s house burned down unexpectedly — and Will was actually still in it when it happened," Henry Wade said. 

"It took a complete toll [on] myself, my mental health … and it was the first time really in my life where I have kind of experienced massive anxiety, panic attacks and a bit of PTSD as well," Will Wade said of the dramatic loss of his home. 

He said he dealt with those struggles by getting outside — and going for runs. 

After seeing his brother work through his struggles by running, Henry paired up with Will — and the brothers decided to raise awareness of mental health issues by partnering with Beder, a charity. 

Beder is an organization across the U.K. and Ireland that's dedicated to reducing suicide and ending the stigmas that surround mental health. 

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Henry Wade said the brothers knew that completing seven marathons would be difficult — but the difficulty, for them, would be temporary. 

Yet many people with mental health issues face a far tougher situation.

"People who have mental health issues and [who] feel alone all the time — they have these thoughts and feelings 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year," he said. 

"Whereas we’re putting ourselves in a bit of pain these few hours a day, what they’re going through is much worse," he also said.

The brothers decided to document their journey for their over 750,000 TikTok followers — showing the struggle of completing the marathons day after day. 

After arriving in New York City a week prior to the 2022 TCS NYC Marathon, the brothers ran 26.2 miles each day around the city. 

"Doing them back to back … that was just the most ridiculous thing ever," Will said. 

The brothers noted that days four and five were the worst — they felt like they couldn’t do it anymore. 

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Still, with swollen feet and worn-out bodies, the twins persevered and made it to day seven. 

For the last marathon, the brothers went out with a bang — running the New York City 2022 marathon. 

"It was electrifying, like our energy just came back from nowhere," Will Wade said. 

The Wade twins noted that keeping themselves going mentally was the toughest part as the five-borough marathon course presented climate and geographic struggles for them. 

"That’s where the mental challenge comes because you are whittling yourself down to your core. Your essence is your most vulnerable state," Henry said. 

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The two celebrated their seven marathons the morning after by enjoying a full American breakfast — pancakes, waffles and all. 

When asked if they would do it again, the brothers said they’re just trying to live in the moment for now: "Seeing these messages coming through today and over the last few days has been so, so heartwarming. We’re super grateful."

For more information on Beder, the charity the Wade twins partnered with, visit beder.org.uk for details.

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