Benji Wilkins has an inspirational and truly remarkable experience that needed to be told in the moment. His incredible story involves the physical and mental journey of running 42 marathons in 42 days across the UK. In his own words, “I’m not an elite athlete. I like to run, but I’m not winning any races. In 2025 I ran maybe 30 miles a month! I’m not the fastest runner you’ll meet, and I’m definitely not the most experienced. What I am, is stubborn.”

He set out on this grueling challenge from John o' Groats to Land's End to raise vital funds and awareness for multiple sclerosis. Driven by a deeply personal cause, Benji undertook this self-imposed suffering to support his mother, who has been living with MS for over a decade.

We discuss the brutal physical toll of running a marathon every day, the powerful mind-body connection required to endure when the body wants to quit, and the profound spiritual insights Benji gained about the power of community, daily discipleship, and what it truly means to "endure to the end."

Some highlights from this episode include:

• Current Progress and the Physical Toll: Benji shares firsthand stories from the road on day 33, detailing the extreme fatigue, the shifting landscape as he moves south, and the bizarre experience of running a full marathon in a pair of jeans.
• The Liquid Calorie Strategy: From downing maple syrup to mixing specialized carbohydrate shakes, Benji explains how he forces thousands of calories into a body that completely loses its appetite after a long day of running.
• The Mind-Body Connection: A fascinating deep dive into the mental strategy Benji used to communicate with his own body early in the challenge, repeating the mantra "adapt or die" to overcome early threats of runner's knee and hip strain.
• Ministering Angels in Vans: Benji details the incredible, unexpected acts of kindness from friends, family, and strangers who showed up out of nowhere—including a friend who travelled 13 hours to run in a pair of Vans—to sustain him during his darkest miles.
• Understanding Multiple Sclerosis: A moving discussion about his mother's decade-long battle to receive an MS diagnosis, how the autoimmune disease impacts the nervous system, and the daily, hidden physical challenges that require true, permanent resilience.
• The True Meaning of Endurance: Benji reflects on the gospel principle of endurance, sharing how true endurance isn't just about gritting your teeth through self-imposed suffering, but about finding a higher purpose, relying on the "tender mercies" of the community, and allowing the experience to refine the human spirit.
  
  

You can find out more about Benji's journey and support the cause at the following link:

• Website: Marathons for Mom (https://marathonsformum.com/)
• https://gofund.me/5ffa4a29b
  
  

Follow For All The Saints on social media for updates and inspiring content:

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For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Q

https://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271

If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org or DM on Instagram

Conversations to Refresh Your Faith.

Alan Pace, Chairman of Burnley Football Club and RCD Espanyol, joined me this week for an exclusive interview where we discuss not only his fascinating life across finance and sports, but his deeply reflective approach to leadership and faith. Backed by a legitimate sporting pedigree that includes serving in the executive management of Real Salt Lake, Alan brings a rare blend of Wall Street business discipline and soft-spoken spiritual conviction to the often cutthroat world of elite professional sports. It was an absolute privilege to have him on the show.

In this episode, we sit down at the historic Hyde Park Stake Center in London to explore his personal journey. We discuss everything from his family's deep missionary roots in the North West of England to what it really feels like to steer a massive community asset under the relentless lens of public scrutiny. Alan opens up about his belief that he doesn't "own" a club, but rather holds it in trust for the community, and explains how constant prayer acts as his anchor when making high-stakes executive decisions.

Key insights from our conversation include:

• Rediscovering Family Footsteps: Alan reflects on his own history with the iconic Hyde Park chapel and shares the incredible moments of synchronicity that occurred when he realized he was working in the exact same English towns where his father had served as a young missionary decades prior.
  
  
• The Boy Scout Philosophy of Stewardship: A look at Alan's unique leadership model, which rejects the traditional concept of sports ownership in favor of "stewardship"—a mindset rooted in a simple childhood lesson to always leave a place better than you found it.
  
  
• Six Missed Trains with Vincent Kompany: The story behind bringing one of football's biggest icons to Turf Moor. Alan admits he didn't initially comprehend the scale of Kompany's legacy, but details the instant connection, an epic first meeting that blew past half a dozen train schedules, and how Kompany challenged him to see voices he normally couldn't hear.
  
  
• Leading with a Parental Heart: An honest look at the brief but impactful tenure of Scott Parker, whose "superpower" wasn't just on-pitch tactics, but an uncanny ability to lead a squad with the genuine care, empathy, and protective instinct of a father.
  
  
• Weathering the Dark Side of the Beautiful Game: Alan speaks candidly about navigating intense public criticism, modern social media vitriol, and extreme fan reactions. He shares how he relies on temple attendance, silent boundaries, and sincere prayer to find clarity and inspiration when the noise gets too loud.
  
  
• Flip the Question on Faith: A powerful closing thought for anyone striving to live their faith in hyper-competitive, high-pressure environments. Alan challenges us to stop focusing solely on the certainty of God's love for us, and instead ask ourselves a much more demanding question: How clearly does our day-to-day behavior demonstrate our love for Him?

Follow Burnley FC at: https://burnleyfootballclub.com

Follow For All The Saints on social media for updates and inspiring content:

www.instagram.com/forallthesaintspod

https://www.facebook.com/forallthesaintspod/

For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Q

https://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271

If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org or DM on Instagram

Conversations to Refresh Your Faith.

For All The Saints podcast was established in 2023 by Ben Hancock to express his passion and desire for more dialogue around faith, religious belief, and believers' perspectives on the topics of our day. Tune into For All The Saints every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Follow For All The Saints on social media for daily inspiration.