Wigan borough personal trainer's marathon challenge raises £12k for Ukraine charity appeal

Jake Dearden, 23, was spurred on by the plight of the millions of people affected by Russia’s invasion and wanted to make a difference.

He decided to set himself of a challenge of running 10 marathons in just five days to support the Ukraine crisis appeal organised by the British Red Cross.

He said: “I’m a personal trainer and I had done a little bit of running before, but I wanted to challenge myself. It was something other people could get involved in as well, by running with me or supporting me.”

Jake, who lives in Leigh, ran two marathons each day, starting one at 6am and another at 3pm.

He managed to complete every 26.2-mile run, with most of them taking between four and five hours, but it was definitely a tough challenge.

Jake, who works at a gym in Westhoughton, said: “It went well. I found it harder than I thought I would though. It was a big challenge. After day one, I thought I might not be able to do it, but what got me through it was the support of everyone around me. People were running with me and not letting me give up.”

His impressive effort has so far raised £12,775, which included a £6,000 donation from clothing firm Represent.

Donations to Jake’s appeal for the British Red Cross can still be made at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jake-dearden10in5