Coronavirus: London Marathon runners undertake 2.6 Challenge to help charities
Written by News on 26/04/2020
Britons who had been gearing up to take part in the London Marathon today have been asked to come up with a challenge – and a new way to help charities.
The London Marathon, which draws more than 40,000 people every year and raises millions of pounds in charity, has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak and the lockdown measures imposed by the government.
It will now be held on 4 October.
The 2.6 Challenge serves as a replacement for the 26-mile race through the capital’s streets.
People can come up with an activity based around the numbers 2.6 or 26 – also the same date as today – in aid of their chosen charity, and use the hashtag #twopointsixchallenge to share their efforts.
Sophie Allen, a charity worker from Romford, plans to swim 2.6km in her back garden to raise money for London Air Ambulance service, while award-winning mixologist Paul Martin will produce 26 cocktails in 26 minutes.
An athlete in County Down has undertaken the challenge by running solo laps of his living room while his family and friends cheered him on through FaceTime.
Col Bignell, 26, ran laps of his front room around 11,500 times and received £1,000 in sponsorship from his friends and family.
It was his first “marathon”, and his fiancee kept him supplied with chocolate raisins, iced lollies and other sugary snacks.
After completing the challenge, he said: “It went really well. I originally intended to split it over the weekend but it went really well so I thought I would go on.
“It is definitely completely different from doing a normal run. The blisters on my feet are crazy.”
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Lynn Hedgecoe, 68, is walking round a six-acre field in Cheshire 26 times in 26 different outfits, including doctors’ scrubs, a scuba suit and an Elvis costume.
Ms Hedgecoe, who was diagnosed with the heart condition cardiomyopathy 13 years ago, has raised more than £1,000 for the Vital Signs Foundation, a heart-screening charity.
Over in Leicester, a keen runner was spotted running along the Grand Union Canal in a cow onesie.
Meanwhile a street in Bolton is running a relay race where neighbours run to a nearby house, knock at the door and then the next person follows suit.
Residents in Vestry Mews, south London, are following suit with more than 13 households running 50 laps around the mews. Combined, the 639 laps make up the same distance of the London marathon.
A total of £1,500 has been raised by the residents for a nearby food bank at St Giles Parish Hall.
Other creative ways people are taking part including people signing, trampolining and running around their gardens.
George Cook spelled the 26 letters of the alphabet using sign language with an aim to raise money for deaf blind charity, Sense. He raised £260.
Nicola Soar completed 26 backflips on a trampoline in aid of Parkinson’s UK, while the son of a teacher at Rudston Primary School, in Liverpool, bounced on a trampoline 26 times.
Stars are also getting involved in the action.
A team of 26 Olympians, including Greg Rutherford, Tom Daley and Becky Adlington, are each doing a one-minute workout that will be edited together to form one 26-minute video so that people can exercise alongside them.
Former Welsh rugby star Jonathan Davies is cycling 26 miles on an exercise bike every day for 10 days. He has raised more than £17,000 for Velindre NHS Trust in Cardiff.
Davies then called on fellow Welshman and footballer Gareth Bale to take part in the challenge.
Bale responded with doing 26 keepie uppies inside his home with a small globe ball. He also linked to a page for the Velindre Trust.
Actor Jason Watkins is holding a hand stand for 26 seconds in aid of the UK Sepsis Trust. The fundraising effort is in memory of his daughter Maude, who died aged two from sepsis in 2011.
Adventurer Anna McNuff then climbed in and out of a sleeping bag 26 times in aid of Girl Guiding UK, of which she is an ambassador.
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: London Marathon runners undertake 2.6 Challenge to help charities
