Trail runner Deo Kato becomes first person to run from Cape Town to London

After 16 months, 8,230 miles of running and 100km of ascent gain, Deo Kato has finished one epic challenge. Here's what you need to know

Deo Kato running in South Africa

by Rob Slade |
Updated on

On 24 July 2023 London-based Deo Kato set off from Cape Town on a mission to run to London. Yesterday, on 22 December, he finally completed the job.

The numbers involved are staggering. Deo has been running for the best part of 16 months. In that time, he’s covered 8,230 miles (13,245km) and completed 100,484m of ascent.

That elevation equates to over 11 times the height of Everest, while the distance is equal to 300+ marathons.

His journey has seen him cross two continents and 20 countries, including Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda (where he was born), Sudan, Croatia and France.

Speaking after finishing the run in Hammersmith, London, Deo said: "Having completed my run from Cape Town to London, I feel relieved, happy and incredibly proud of what my team and I have achieved.

"I have always wanted to return this year, and being able to make it back before Christmas is fantastic."

Deo's motivation

Deo Kato ultra runner

Wondering why? Well, Deo’s journey is inspired by the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 when African Americans in Alabama held a civil rights protect to end segregation on buses.

With his journey, he wants to show future generations that nothing is impossible, while also highlighting where humankind first walked on the planet. He hopes to highlight the parallel between those early migrations and the movement of millions of people who are currently leaving home in search of better, and challenge racist views in the process.

As such, he started his run at the Long March to Freedom exhibition in Cape Town to pay homage to the people who fought for South Africa’s freedom over the years.

Highs and lows

As with any journey of this magnitude, there were highs and lows throughout the challenge. The lows included a pause in running due to getting sick from street food in Tanzania and an enforced break after being arrested and kept in a jail for several weeks in South Sudan. Deo also had to deal with regular experiences of racism when running through parts of Europe.

The highs, meanwhile, included being taken in by a local farmer for the night while running through the desert in the north of South Africa. Deo and his one-person support crew were given a meal and a safe place to sleep for the night.

No stranger to endurance

Deo Kato running

But this isn’t Deo’s first brush with endurance challenges. In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, he started a campaign of running for justice, covering 10km a day for 381 days.

In 2021, he joined a team of six runners and ran the Charlie Ramsay Round Challenge, becoming the first group of Black and Brown people as part of the Black Trail Runners (BTR) community to run to the highest peaks in the UK.

The running coach has achieved other impressive feats, too, including joining the BTR community and completing The SpeedProject, a 350-mile race from LA to Las Vegas in 2022.

Deo has also created a movement called the ‘Legacy of Hope’, which has seen him work with schools in both the UK and Africa

Deo created the “Legacy of Hope” by working with schools both in Africa and in the UK. The aim is to help tell the true story of human migration and to show that representation matters.

As part of that, he’s been visiting schools along his running route over the past 16 months, and he intends to continue to do so now that he’s back in the UK.

The hope is that generations to come will see this work and be inspired to help create a better world and learn the truth of our existence.

To learn more about Deo's motivations and experiences over the last 16 months, head over to his Instagram page.

Planning your own ultra running challenge? Take a look at our list of the best ultra trail running shoes for some top gear advice.

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