11-05-2025
Ex-Royal Marine completes world's longest triathlon by scaling Everest
A former Royal Marine has climbed to the summit of Mount Everest to complete the world's longest triathlon.
During Mitch Hutchcraft's mammoth expedition, he swam the Channel, cycled through Europe and Asia and trekked across the Himalayas.
The 31-year-old reached the summit of the highest mountain on Earth on Sunday at 7.30am Nepalese time (2.30am BST), eight months after setting off from Dover.
Speaking afterwards, he said: 'It was more magical than I could have ever dreamed it would be.
'Although I lost my dad 11 years ago, he was with me every step of the way.
'It's been tough. Really tough. The most difficult thing I've ever done. But I couldn't be happier and more proud of finishing this epic adventure.'
He paid tribute to his father, father-in-law and other friends and family by unfurling a flag with the message reading 'We miss you', alongside pictures of those who had inspired him.
'It's been a dream of mine since I was eight years old to climb Everest, ever since I saw it in a book,' he added. 'Never in a million years did I think this would be how I'd get here.
'Years of preparation, eight long months of physical endurance, swimming across the Channel, cycling across 19 countries, running 900km [560 miles], and following in the footsteps of the first ever climb of Everest to reach base camp. It's been one hell of a journey.'
Mr Hutchcraft and his climbing team are healthy and expected back at base camp on Monday.
Molly McDonald, the founder and producer of Blue Door Productions, which has been following and documenting the adventure, said: 'It's been a long road since Mitch first pitched his dream to us.
'As a small team, without funding or a social following to support the expedition, we knew it was a big risk, but we saw a real magic in who Mitch is and the message he wanted to share.
'Thanks to the incredible support of amazing partners – and a massive online community – that distant dream has become a reality. I'm incredibly proud of this adventure, though for Blue Door, the finish line is not the summit, but when we get our team back home safely.'
In what was dubbed Project Limitless, Mr Hutchcraft swam 21 miles across the Channel, cycled nearly 7,500 miles through Europe and Asia to Digha in India and ran 560 miles to Kathmandu, Nepal.
He was forced to take a detour through Iran after being denied a visa and was further delayed by a military lockdown in Iraq.
At the age of 20, Mr Hutchcraft faced the sudden loss of his father, which became the driving force behind his decision to follow his dream of joining the Marines.
He had previously been told a full knee reconstruction would make it impossible to join the military, let alone complete a challenge of this magnitude, but he served for six years before leaving in 2021 to pursue new challenges.
Mr Hutchcraft has spent the past few years rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, cycling across North America and climbing some of the most challenging mountains in the world before the dream for Project Limitless was born.
He said the swim across the Channel was the 'hardest day of my life'.
The former Marine has also been raising money for SAVSIM, a non-profit organisation that supports wildlife conservation.
'This has been the most painful, but fulfilling, adventure,' he added. 'I just want it to inspire others to believe that whatever they're dreaming, however small, they just need to get out there and smash it.'
His challenge will officially end when he arrives back at base camp.
Everest was first conquered by Edmund Hillary, the New Zealander mountaineer and explorer, in 1953. Since then, thousands have tried to scale the mountain, as well as other Himalayan peaks.
