Summary: I'll be running 2.5 marathons in one day for In-Deep.

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On Saturday, the 29^th of May I’ll be raising money for In-Deep Community Task Force, running from Harringay, North London to Brighton, Sussex with my dear friend Jimi Mac.

With a grand total of just over three years running experience between us we’ll be spending around 14 hours side-by-side, crossing London, Surrey and Sussex. 

The distance of 105 km (65 miles) equates to about two and a half marathons and the total elevation climbed on the day will be approximately 1,400 meters, more than four times the height of The Shard.

"How many calories does that all add up to?" I hear you ask. Well, that's a good question. It's over 8,000 which is around 15 Big Macs. 

A tale of two Jameses

Jimi and I met in the secondary school playground and we each had a penchant for winding the other up. Since then we formed a great friendship, peaking when he made the mistake of asking me and our other idiot mate, Xav, to be best men at his wedding in 2013. Semi-disaster.

With Jimi’s birthday falling on the last bank holiday weekend in May we decided that we should celebrate. Short on good ideas we settled on a run followed by a liquid calorie binge. 

Dig deep for In-Deep

While there’s still no blue plaque, Jimi and I were both born in St Thomas’ Hospital, Lambeth.

In-Deep is a charity that works mainly with the elderly and children with special needs in both Westminster and Lambeth.

One of their main aims is to promote friendship in order to combat loneliness and isolation. The way they do things has changed since I made this visit but throughout the past year In-Deep has continued to provide support for those who need it most. 

The task force has spent the past 12 months delivering over 1,000 lunches, 200 hampers and providing more than 1,500 befriending calls.

I’ll be setting the minimum fundraising target at £2,222.22. To put this into perspective, two grand will pay for a year’s rent on the hall that the team uses in Victoria. 

Supporting such a hands-on, grass-roots charity means the money goes a long way and has a great impact on communities such as those that In-Deep supports. 

If you’re unable to donate money, fear not. You can always donate your time. And if you really have no time either then please spend a moment sharing the page with somebody who might be able to.

A hard act to follow

You can keep up to date with how things are going on Strava and Instagram.

Special shout out to my key sponsors Cookhouse Joe and Raised Spirit.

Love,

James