‘I’m not really a triathlete,’ Spencer Matthews insists. ‘I’m an enthusiast. I’m a sporting enthusiast.’ Which might sound strange coming from a man about to attempt seven full-distance triathlons – one on every continent – in less than a month. But then, Matthews has built a second act on doing things that, at least on paper, he has no business doing.
This October, the entrepreneur and podcast host will swim 3.8km, ride 180km, and run a full marathon seven times over – in Rio, Sacramento, London, Dubai, Perth, Cape Town, and finally Antarctica. The current record for completing what is often known as an “Ironman distance triathlon” on every continent stands at just under four years. Matthews plans to do it in 23 days. ‘I can’t quite call them back-to-back because of the travel. Each triathlon will take between 12 and 14 hours,’ he says. ‘Then we need to move to the next place.’
It’s more than just a physical and logistical gauntlet – the Antarctic stage alone has been completed by only two people in history. Anders ‘The Iceman’ Hofman completed the 140.6-mile feat in 2020, a slog which took almost 73 hours of non-stop exertion. Connor Emeny is the only other man on Earth to complete a full-distance triathlon on all seven continents – an undertaken that he spread over 4 years. Neither athlete rocked up to the South Pole with the fatigue from six triathlons already in their legs. ‘By the time I get there, I’ll be depleted, I’ll have niggles, hopefully not injuries. But that’s going to be the big growth moment.’ The swim will be in sub-zero water (think: ice bath for an hour and 30 minutes) before cycling on ice or compacted snow for up to 30 hours, then running a marathon in temperatures as low as minus-30°C.
Training has meant confronting his weakest disciplines. ‘I’m not a swimmer,’ he admits. ‘I wouldn’t drown if you chucked me in the sea, but I’m not trained.’ That’s changed after open-water sessions in Spain. ‘I found it really therapeutic. I used to think swimming was boring. Now I love it.’ He jokes – ‘I completely understand what Ross Edgley actually gets out of it now’. Cycling has been a steeper learning curve – a poor bike fit initially hammered his knee – but he’s now logging big miles, supported by a team that includes the crew from his desert marathon feat. ‘Preventing niggles from turning into injuries is what keeps you on the road.’
The dangers are real. Matthews recalls going hypothermic during a 24-hour solo track run in London – a reminder of how quickly things can go wrong without the right support, even if you aren’t in the Antarctic. That’s why logistical lead Chris Taylor, physio Jonny Heath and a tight-knit crew will be with him every step. ‘If you’re not compos mentis, who’s going to fix the problem?’ Matthews says having the right team around you for an endeavour like this is vital.
Beyond pushing his own personal boundaries, the challenge is also about raising money and awareness for James’ Place, a charity offering life-saving support for men in suicidal crisis. ‘Suicide in this country claims nearly one life every hour, three-quarters of them men. James’ Place had over 2,000 men through their doors last year and prevented attempts on their lives. The money we raise will have an immediate impact.’ For Matthews, it’s a cause that aligns deeply with his own concerns about the state of men’s mental health in the UK. ‘We’re in a male mental health crisis. There are so many dangerous, toxic voices out there – people with huge platforms pushing damaging ideas of what men “should” be. I worry for young men, because those who can’t live up to these unrealistic standards are left feeling inadequate, ashamed and alone.’
As a father of two boys, Matthews says this is more than just charity work – it’s personal. ‘I want my sons to grow up seeing positive examples of what it means to be a man – to see strength in kindness, vulnerability and persistence, not in posturing or chasing hollow ideals. If we can give more young men access to the kind of targeted, practical support James’ Place offers, we can not only save lives in the moment, but change the trajectory of those lives entirely.’ He hopes his own example – pushing himself to extremes for a cause – can be part of a healthier narrative for male role models.
Why put himself through it? ‘I genuinely believe imposing boundaries on yourself is a shame. When you remove them, things look and feel pretty different. Human beings can go a lot further than they realise.’ It’s a philosophy that crystallised for him after completing his multi-marathon desert run – a challenge he admits changed his life. ‘When it was achieved, it completely allowed me to think differently. It broke down deep-rooted scepticism about myself and showed me that we’re all capable of far more than we think. That experience made me want to keep testing where the limits really are – and, more importantly, to show other people that they can do the same.’
The single leading cause of death for men under 35 in the UK is suicide (ONS, 2024). Driven by the ability to have a meaningful impact in male suicide prevention, Spencer will be raising vital funds to help James’ Place continue to offer and expand its free, life-saving therapy and support to men in need. Donate via this link to help support Spencer as he challenges his physical limits and seeks to raise funds for James’ Place.
With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.
As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.
Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.
You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.