Lockdown marathons: The runners raising money for charity despite coronavirus crisis

  • Anglia

A former Royal Marine has run 100km inside his flat in Colchester - by completing around 15,000 laps of his six metre flat.

Sean Wilson ran almost continuously for 19 hours on Saturday, 11 April, to raise money for Age UK.

Sean, who has raised over £6,000 via a JustGiving page, chose the charity because of the number of elderly people stuck at home because of the coronavirus outbreak.

On his crowdfunding page he said: "Thinking of the older folk who have nobody to talk to or ask for help absolutely breaks my heart and as a result of that I've decided to help (in probably the most idiotic way possible, but I've never been particularly smart)."

Read more: Bedfordshire WWII veteran, 99, walks to raise thousands for NHS

Speaking after he had completed the challenge, the former soldier said his body learnt to cope with the challenge.

"I was getting dizzy to start with, but my body adapted somehow", he said.

"My legs and my feet and my back were just unbelievably painful - that was what consumed my mind, I just got my head down and went for it."

Running a marathon in the back garden

Tom and Kate Nicolson are aiming to complete 10-30 laps of the garden a day Credit: ITV Anglia

Also doing their bit for charity are Kate and Tom Nicolson, aged nine and six respectively.

The duo - who live in Grundisburgh in Suffolk - have decided to run a marathon by completing 234 laps of their back garden (over the space of several days.

The money they raise will support East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH), where their dad Ian works as Acting Director of Income Generation.

The pair are midway through the challenge, and despite making nearly £1,000 on their fundraising page, one of the siblings wishes they had chosen a different sport.

The siblings are fundraising for EACH Credit: ITV Anglia

Kate said: "I wish it could have been a danceathon because I'm going to be a river dancer when I grow up. I knew Tom would find it easier than me.

"Mummy's doing the same challenge on the cross trainer every day, so she's also tired."

EACH say they are facing losses of £1.8 million because the coronavirus outbreak has forced them to close shops and cancel fundraising events.

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