"I'm blown away by the response and can't thank you enough," says Campbell on Twitter after raising over £20,000 for Association of NHS Charities
Wednesday 1 April 2020 22:41, UK
Former professional javelin thrower James Campbell spent his 32nd birthday running a marathon in his garden.
Faced with the prospect of being stuck at home as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, on his birthday, Campbell promised Twitter he would run a marathon if his post received 10,000 retweets.
On Wednesday, he took on the challenge performing six-metre (20-foot) shuttles from one end of his small garden to the other.
By the time Campbell completed the marathon in just over five hours, he had raised more than £18,000 for the Association of NHS Charities to help battle COVID-19, towards a target of £26,200.
The effort, labelled the #6metregardenmarathon, was live-streamed with former England football great Sir Geoff Hurst among the viewers.
Neighbours poked their heads over the backyard fence to give Campbell encouragement.
Campbell ran across a patch of grass, some stones and a small patio in 20-foot stretches.
He calculated that he would have had to traverse his yard at least 7,000 times to reach 26.2 miles.
You can also donate if you wish at James Campbell's Just Giving page.
