Skip to content

More expeditions for ex-marine after triathlon

Chloe Parkman
BBC News, South West
Stan Gaskell/PA Wire Mitch Hutchcraft cycling during the challenge. He is smiling at the camera and is holding one arm out in front of him. He is smiling and it wearing a helmet and sunglasses. He has a backpack on.Stan Gaskell/PA Wire
Mitch Hutchcraft said completing the challenge was everything he had ever dreamed of

A former Royal Marine and Torquay resident says he will keep busy with more expeditions after completing a 240-day challenge.

Mitch Hutchcraft, 31, reached the summit of Mount Everest after swimming, cycling and running more than 8,000 miles (12,875km).

He set off in September 2024, before he swam across the English channel and completed "the longest climb of Everest in history".

Mr Hutchcraft said the challenge was a dream of his since the age of five, adding there was "more stuff coming up expedition wise".

'Everything I dreamed of'

Speaking to BBC Radio Devon, he said: "I swam across the English channel and then cycled 12,000km (7,456 miles) across 18 countries to India and then ran and hiked 1,200km (745 miles) across India to Nepal to Mount Everest.

"And then climbed Everest in the longest climb of Everest in history.

"Seeing the sunrise...and the entire world at your feet, was literally everything I had ever dreamed of for 27 years."

The ex-marine topped the world's highest mountain on Sunday 11 May at 07:30 BST and said the first food he ate returning home was a chicken burger.

Blue Door Productions/Stan Gaskell/PA Wire Mitch Hutchcraft during his challenge embarking on the "world's longest triathlon". Mr Hutchcraft is sitting on snow. He is dressed in a red puffer suit. He is holding a white banner. The sky is blue.Blue Door Productions/Stan Gaskell/PA Wire
The ex-marine has been raising money for SAVSIM

He added: "Going from that life to this life, and obviously being very busy now with the book coming out.

"There is just so much going on."

He has been raising money for SAVSIM, a wildlife conservation organisation for which he is an ambassador, and which also provides mental health support to veterans and others suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and similar issues.

Mr Hutchcraft, who was originally from Cambridge, said he had not yet processed the challenge, but said he would be celebrating at a welcome home party in Torquay on Tuesday evening.

"I'm still adjusting to life...it's going to take a while to sink in that's for sure," he said.

"There is more stuff coming up expedition wise, I even signed up to something at the weekend."

Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].

More on this story