King Charles’s ever-evolving career has seen the singer-songwriter amass over 100 million streams, but the musician is about to embark upon a very different challenge. On July 25th, he’ll start The Feel Good JOGLE, a 1782 kilometre run taking him from John O’Groats to Land’s End in an attempt to raise £100,000 for the youth and community charity Regenerate. And his already gruelling test encompasses another fascinating factor: he will also play a live show every single day.
Or in short: he’ll be completing 40 marathons and 40 gigs in just 40 days.
The journey has been mapped out to take Charles through some of the most striking natural scenery within the UK. After leaving John O’Groats, he’ll travel the length of Scotland through Ben Nevis, continue through the Pennine Way, touch the Brecon Beacons, cross the River Severn, and then follow Cornwall’s northern coast before ending the journey of a lifetime at Land’s End.
Each day will see Charles perform in a unique setting, which will be improvised on a daily basis. It could be on the side of a mountain, next to a lake, or in a local pub. Wherever he ends up in Land’s End will surely be the most well-deserved encore of his life!
Charles will be joined at various points by friends and members of the Regenerate community, running both in person and virtually. The challenge will be documented throughout on the King Charles and Regenerate social media channels.
Aside from supporting Regenerate, The Feel Good JOGLE aims to spark conversation, to both encourage people to share their problems, and to change preconceptions around mental health issues. It’s something Charles feels passionately about, having experienced his own long-term struggle with psychological issues following a serious accident in 2010. The longer-term impact of his trauma affected the parts of his brain which controlled his inhibitions and emotions, and it wasn’t until 2018 that he was discharged.
The run also represents a metaphor for connection, in which Charles hopes to build a chain of positive change that spans the entire country.
King Charles, real name Charles Costa, commented:
“I’m so excited about this challenge. The work of Regenerate is so real and the stories I’ve heard of lives being changed are beautiful. What they do is particularly important now, as the last 18 months of lock-down and isolation have been a feeding ground for anxiety, loneliness and depression
I’ve wanted to take this on for some time because I believe in running. I love the rhythm of feet hitting the road and the effect that that has on the mind. Running has always helped me find an escape when I’ve felt trapped and isolated. And all you need is a pair of shoes and a running buddy to get you moving. I can’t wait to see how Regenerate propel people into action as they always do and to see this journey unfold.”
Regenerate inspires and supports young people by helping them build strong relationships and creating life changing opportunities; helping them grow in confidence; and helping them make the best of their lives and impact the world for good. Their work results in a variety of benefits for young adults: finding meaningful employment; rebuilding and maintaining healthy relationships with their families and communities; and establishing good mental health and a positive sense of wellbeing.
King Charles will release his new single ‘12345’ early in the adventure. The track will be his first release since ‘Animal’ earlier in the summer and previews his brand new EP which is due in the autumn. He will also embark upon his first conventional tour in over two years at the end of October. The show at Omeara rapidly sold-out and an extra London date will be announced shortly. Tickets for all other shows are available here. The dates are:
OCTOBER
30th – Manchester, Deaf Institute
31st – Glasgow, Classic Grand
NOVEMBER
2nd – Cambridge, The Portland Arms
3rd – London, Omeara (SOLD OUT)
5th – Ashford, Revelation
6th – Birmingham, The Castle & Falcon
7th – Bristol, Thekla
King Charles released his debut album ‘LoveBlood’ almost a decade ago, having risen through the same modern folk-inspired London underground scene as Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling, Noah and the Whale and Johnny Flynn. His second album, 2016’s ‘Gamble For a Rose’ was a more ornate, reflective affair. Yet all throughout his early rise, he kept the aftermath of his accident underwraps until 2018, when he began to share his story within the ‘Out Of My Mind’ album.
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