A beefeater has told how seeing homeless people sleeping rough every night drove him to run a staggering 232 miles in just 75 hours.
Barry Gray pounded the entire length of the River Thames from its source in the Cotswolds to the sea at Southend to raise cash for homelessness charity Only A Pavement Away.
The gruelling challenge saw the 52-year-old sleep for just three hours as he battled exhaustion, sore muscles and the constant threat of injury.
Since becoming a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London 18 months ago, he has witnessed homelessness on a regular basis while living within the historic royal palace.
“It’s a hugely honourable job,” Barry, from London, told Need To Know.
“We go on state parades with the monarchy or get involved if we have a visiting prime minister or president.
“I’ve been on parade with the King at Windsor Castle and it was a huge honour.
“There are 35 of us living in the tower with our families and it’s fantastic.
“It’s a royal palace – what’s not to like?
“We have the incredible historic and iconic place to ourselves.
“It’s humbling but then there’s so much homelessness outside.
“The answer isn’t about finding every person a home because a lot of homeless people won’t go into a hostel.
“They’ll say the last time they stayed in a hotel they were beaten up or had their stuff stolen.
“Homelessness isn’t just about people on the streets; it’s people sofa hopping and not having a permanent abode.”
The issue has similarly been visible while he was undertaking the challenge.
Barry said: “Every port, bridge I go under or alleyway I go through, there’s someone homeless on a bench or in a sleeping bag.
“It’s so wrong.
“I wanted to do something about it because clearly the message isn’t getting out there.
“People want to get rid of them and get them out of our area because it makes the streets look untidy, instead of wondering what they can do to help.
“I hate it.
“Endurance has always been my thing and I live on the River Thames, so it felt obvious.
“The idea just came to me and I googled how long the path was.
“The training is all about your mindset and understanding how to do it, when to eat, having a medical team and looking after your feet.
“I just did a 50-mile run two weeks before to get into the routine but it was more for the support team to practise.
“If you look after your body properly, it will keep going with the right mindset.
“On the day, you go for it until you get to the end.
The former Royal Marine raised more than £50,000 during the challenge, where he ran for three days and nights, sleeping for just three hours in total.
Barry said: “There are rules and rests can only be a certain period of time.
“I just slept on a chair on the route.
“You get so tired you can fall asleep standing on a nail.
“My body knows when I need 30 minutes to shut my eyes.
“Someone throws a blanket over me then I get up and go again.
“When you’re done, getting to a normal sleep pattern is impossible.
“You think you’d sleep for two days but you wake up every two hours.
“The route is flat and that makes its harder because you’re using the same muscles the whole time.
“It’s an added strain.”
Barry, who served in the Royal Marines for 26 years after joining in 1990, has been supporting Only A Pavement Away for around three years and is now a veteran ambassador for the charity.
The organisation helps people experiencing homelessness, including veterans, into meaningful employment in the hospitality industry.
Barry said supportive messages and donations are what kept him going.
He said: “My friends and family are very used to it.
“They think ‘here he goes again, what’s next?’ and my wife raises her eyebrows and says ‘rightio then’.
‘It’s about not getting injured.
“If 100 people did it, 20 would finish, not because they aren’t capable but because of injuries so it was a relief to get to the finish line without injury.
“What pushed me was the amount of support I got.
“It was incredible.
“It’s tough to raise that money without a celebrity endorsement.
“My Marine friends appeared with head torches on to run part of it with me and it gave me a huge lift.
“I had so many goodwill messages and donations, meaning people I don’t even know believe in what I’m doing.
“Raising that money was an elation, but it took a few days to settle in.”
Now Barry has been named a finalist in the Mind Over Miles category at the 2026 JustGiving Awards in recognition of his extraordinary fundraising effort.
The winners will be recognised with a unique JustGiving Awards experience, designed to celebrate their fundraising achievements and the impact they have made for the causes closest to their hearts.
He added: “I’m incredibly proud and humbled to be named a finalist in the JustGiving Awards.
“This challenge pushed me further than I’ve ever been pushed before, physically, mentally and emotionally, but that is nothing compared to the daily reality faced by people sleeping rough, including veterans who once served their country.
“Since becoming a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London, I’ve seen the reality of homelessness first-hand, and I wanted to do something that would make a difference.
“Raising this money for Only A Pavement Away means we can help more people rebuild their lives, regain their independence and access meaningful employment.
“To have people connect with the challenge, support the cause and now see it recognised in this way is truly heartwarming.”
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