Aberdeen-based Elior at Work Group Cleaning Manager Marius Coste has raised £12,741 through his Miles of Smiles campaign since 2021, using running, walking and cycling challenges to support mental health and cancer charities.
The campaign is currently in week 72 of an 82-week challenge, with Marius having covered 4,596 kilometres and raised more than £5,741 for SAMH and Clan Cancer Support since June 2025. He has completed every week without a break, alongside 340 cold showers and 75 cold-water dips.
Founded following profound personal loss, Miles of Smiles aims to encourage open conversations about mental health, raise funds for support services and remind people experiencing difficult times that they are not alone.
Marius regularly wears colourful costumes to engage communities and draw attention to the cause. Recent challenges have included running dressed as Superman on the Great Wall of China, taking part in local parkrun events and supporting community activities across the North-east.
Marius (Elior UK Facilities Management professional) and Kirsty Blackman Aberdeen North MP
The campaign has also attracted international support. In July 2026, Rotary GB&I Magazine featured Marius and his fundraising efforts, highlighting the role of community connections in helping a local initiative reach a wider audience.
The campaign’s message is simple: “You are never alone.” Marius hopes the challenge will encourage people to look out for one another, speak more openly about mental health and support organisations providing vital services.
Alongside his full-time role at Elior UK, Marius has taken part in awareness activities with community groups and delivered talks about mental health and resilience. His efforts have also received recognition from public figures and organisations, including written acknowledgement from the Scottish Government’s Minister for Mental Wellbeing, who described his achievements as “truly impressive”.
With the challenge due to finish on 31 December 2026, Marius’s focus remains on raising as much as possible for SAMH and Clan Cancer Support and continuing to spread the campaign’s message.
Read the Rotary GB&I Magazine feature:
https://magazine.rotarygbi.org/marius-coste-walk-july-2026