Tearful runner 'blown away' by Harry Styles donation

A man who ran the length of Great Britain in memory of his parents said he was "blown away" to receive a donation from Harry Styles.

Laurence Denis completed the 850-mile (1,368km) trek from John O'Groats in Scotland to Land's End in Cornwall in 23 days, finishing on 12 June.

The 32-year-old, from Hinckley, in Leicestershire, was in tears and speechless when he received the news Styles had donated £2,000 to his fundraising effort - bringing the total to his £8,000 target.

Denis thanked everyone who supported and encouraged him along his epic journey, adding: "Honestly, I can't thank everyone enough - you spurred me on and kept me going."

Denis was in his late 20s when his mother Pauline passed away in 2020 after a 10-year battle with neuroendocrine cancer.

"I quickly fell on the wrong side of life and before long everything I was going through got too much," he said.

"I felt like I was alone. I felt like I couldn't speak to anyone, which is quite sad because I had a lot of people around me - it's no shade on anyone."

Denis said he started running to escape his pain and completed his first marathon later that year.

However, in 2023 his father Phil died suddenly from a heart attack, and Denis began to suffer from panic attacks and sleepless nights.

"My grief was suffocating," he said. "I just felt like, why?

"I was in so much pain, but I kept putting on a front."

Denis kept running to cope and later founded a weekly running club, Let's Run Den, in Hinckley.

He set himself challenges, including running across England, a run in the shape of a heart and 24 hours on a treadmill, to raise money for charities.

After setting out on 20 May, Denis reached out to Styles for support, adding: "I was listening to Harry Styles, and I know he's a keen runner.

"I didn't think anything of it and then all of a sudden, it blew up. Harry Styles' mum even shared what I was doing."

To his surprise he received a message from Styles' team, which read: "We saw your videos and love what you've been doing.

"We'd love to invite you to a Together, Together Wembley Stadium show of your choosing. Let us know when works best, and we'll get it sorted."

Denis was overwhelmed with the tickets, and speechless with the £2,000 donation that followed, adding: "I'm just a normal guy.

"It doesn't feel real. It's been a whirlwind."

Denis said the challenge had been "madness", which included running in all weathers following an early knee injury.

"Full of ups and downs, mentally battling, with the physical pain of the blisters on my feet and overwhelming feeling of what I'm up against and what I'm putting my body through," he reflected.

"But the support from everybody is out of this world. The team around me and reading comments during my breaks spurred me on to get over the line.

"The challenge gave me a bit of a purpose to push myself and get out of my own headspace.

"Running has saved my mental health and a reason why I'm here today."

Denis said he hoped to inspire people, adding: "I don't want people to go through what I went through."

So far he has raised more than £12,500 for Neuroendocrine Cancer UK, the British Heart Foundation, Mind and Birmingham Children's Hospital.

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