Fridge inspires local runner to take on 13 half-marathons in 13 days
A Suffolk New College lecturer from Kesgrave, who has already completed 58 marathons and raised around £100k for charity, is taking on his toughest challenge yet – 13 half-marathons in 13 days – after being inspired by a fellow runner who completed the London Marathon carrying a fridge on his back.
Why it matters: Dave Robinson, 54, a sports lecturer at Suffolk New College, begins the challenge on Wednesday, 16 September, in aid of Suffolk Mind, joined by five others from Rushmere Community Runners.
The details: Robinson and the group will run a half-marathon a day for 13 consecutive days. The penultimate marathon will be the Ipswich half marathon on 27 September, for which they aim to raise around £1,000. The challenge will conclude the following day, 28 September, with a final run in Ipswich.
The group say they were inspired by Jordan Adams, who ran this year's London Marathon carrying a fridge on his back to raise money for dementia research.
Adams undertook the challenge after he and his brother discovered they both carry the frontotemporal dementia (FTD) gene that took the life of their mother in her forties. The fridge was intended as a symbolic gesture highlighting the invisible weight of mental health struggles for those living with dementia.
What they're saying: On his choice of charity, Robinson said: "We chose Suffolk Mind this time as it means so much to so many people."
On the support he has received since joining Suffolk New College, he added: "I started at the college recently and the staff have been amazing. Hopefully students will see what I'm doing and be inspired to do something similar in the future."
The bottom line: Robinson, who has raised roughly £100,000 for benevolent causes over his running career, hopes this latest challenge will inspire others at the college to take on similar fundraising feats.
Those wishing to support Dave Robinson's fundraiser can donate via his JustGiving page.
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