A British-Ugandan man has become the first person to run from Cape Town in South Africa to London, finishing off a 13,000km (8,200 mile) journey.

Deo Kato ran over 518 days to raise awareness of racism and reached the finish line in Downing Street having passed through 15 countries. He endured several illnesses, visa difficulties and even time in prison on the epic journey.

Despite the run being a pro-migration stand, he said he was racially abused as he passed through parts of Europe. “The lens that we paint on migration right now is very negative,” he said.

“In the UK, we used to call migrants here to help society but now we are trying to push them away. We are saying that they are not benefitting.”

Kato said that experiencing racism was his motivation behind his ‘Running for Justice’ movement. He said of the run: “You go through so many emotions, so many doubts… You think you will not be able to make it.

“My body almost gave up a few days ago. A lot of people stand alongside me and say, ‘Let’s go, let’s go.’”

Mr Kato set off from Cape Town in July 2023 and had to pass through war zones on his journey north. He explained: “As I looked forward, I noticed conflicts all around me in places such as the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and northern Ethiopia.”

“Logistically, it felt as if there was no possible way in which to continue the journey through Africa.” His experience in southern Europe was also hard at times, where people would sometimes film him and report him to the police.

He went on: “The other time I felt like packing it in was in Croatia because I genuinely felt treated as an illegal immigrant. I didn’t feel welcomed or that I belonged in their society.”

Mr Kato has been sharing updates of his running on his Instagram page, dramatic images showing how he has scaled mountains and camped in desolate territory. In London, he was welcomed by friends, family and well-wishers at the finish line as well as his partner, Alice Light.

“Although it won’t happen in my lifetime,” he said, “I believe that my efforts and those of others who are dedicated to create a world free from racial discrimination are laying the foundations for the next generation to build upon.”