400km in 30 Days: Movember Marathons
- Patrick Maitland
- Nov 13, 2025
- 2 min read
Cian O'Regan is taking on an epic feat this Movember
Movember has rolled around again, bringing with it an increase in both charitable acts and questionable facial hair. There are always some bold challenges, but one stands out this year. The Saint spoke to Cian O’Regan, who plans to run 400km this month, all in the name of men’s mental health.
My first question concerned the overall distance — 400km is over 13km a day, so why set such an ambitious goal? Cian explained that he’s run 100km for each year of university so far, and as a fourth year, this will be his biggest and final Movember fundraiser at St Andrews.
He’ll be running 10km a day until 30 November, when he’s left himself a 100km ultramarathon. Having never attempted a run of this length before, Cian expects it to be “more of a mental game” than a physical one.
Speaking of challenges, Cian mentioned he might add some extra stipulations to his runs to “keep it interesting,” as if the 400km distance wasn’t quite enough. “I did six pints, twelve doughnuts, and 18km in second year, so I’ll probably do that again,” he laughs.
This is a slightly modified version of an internet running challenge — the exact rules of which are probably best left unprinted. Nonetheless, it’s an impressive feat, and one that perfectly captures the student spirit.
Although this is largely a one-man mission, Cian doesn’t plan to suffer alone: “I’ve had a lot of people message me saying they’re keen, and I’m hoping to get four or five people on runs next week,” he said. “It’s really cool seeing how many people want to get involved and help out.”
Behind all the humour and exhaustion, there’s a serious purpose to Cian’s efforts. Movember is one of the UK’s largest charities supporting men’s health, particularly mental health. When announcing his challenge on Instagram, Cian wrote: “Across my time at uni, I’ve seen far too many blokes struggle to open up to people in times of stress, and I’ve definitely been guilty of this from time to time.”
In the UK, three out of four deaths by suicide are men, a devastating statistic that inspired the creation of Movember. The campaign has already made a major impact across Britain, but its long-term goal is to create a truly global movement.
During his year abroad at UNC Chapel Hill in the United States, Cian organised a Movember campaign there, in a country only recently embracing the moustache-for-money tradition. “It’s really cool to now see how big it’s become,” he reflected.
At the time of writing, Cian has raised over £330 in just six days, making this his most successful fundraiser yet. Of course, we all know the true measure of a man’s Movember: the moustache. Cian cheerfully reported that his is “going much better than previous years so far”, and that he’s “hoping to sport some serious face furniture by the end.”
However his whiskers turn out, Cian’s run is a remarkable distance for an even better cause — and we’d both urge you to donate. Click the link below to learn more about Cian’s fundraiser and support his Movember challenge.
Image provided by Cian O'Regan
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