Marathon effort for NHS causes
Welder Chris Johnson braved a weekend of hot weather to run 100 miles in 24 hours for NHS charities.
The 35-year-old set himself a total of £250 but that soon climbed to more than £1,600 for various mental health and acute services in the NHS.
His run was part of a country-wide challenge by Centurion Running to raise money for good causes during lockdown, putting runners to the test at distances of 3 to 100 miles.
Chris took 23 hours 38 minutes to complete his run.
Proud wife Kay, who works for Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust, said: “He started it on Friday 29 May at 6.20am and finished at 6am on the Saturday. Nurses dropping their kids off at school saw him running at different stages and thanked him, then donated. People were spotting him all day at various points, it was lovely. The heat made it really hard for him but he kept going. Friends stopped by to bike and do a few laps with him. It was a really lovely team spirt kind of day.”
Chris caught the running bug after completing the London Marathon in 2009 and has since raised money for many charities, including taking part in the 24-hour challenge previously.
He also looks to running to help his own mental health. “It’s the chance to escape from busy day-to-day life,” he said. “With this whole situation and everything that’s going on, it just seemed appropriate to try and help.”
He added: “NHS staff and volunteers are doing amazing work right now in caring for COVID-19 patients. Together, let's show our respect and gratitude as they work tirelessly in the face of the virus.”