Grantham man to run five marathons in a week for the NHS
A Grantham man will complete five marathons in the space of a week to raise money for the NHS.
Starting today (Saturday), Joshua Knight will set out to cover 131 miles over the course of just seven days.
The 30-year-old is completing the daunting task to raise some money for NHS Charities Together, and has over £3,500 in under a fortnight.
Josh’s chosen charity is supporting the health and emotional wellbeing of those at the frontline of the NHS. The money will be used to provide wellbeing packs, fund accommodation, travel and parking expenses and will provide long-term mental health support for NHS staff, volunteers, patients and carers after the pandemic is over.
Josh, who works as a business development manager for property lender Octane Capital, will set out each day from his home on Kenilworth Road, with his route seeing him pass the Journal offices no less than three times.
He said: “I’ll be setting off for my first run [tomorrow], and will aim to complete the 131 miles within seven days. I’ll need to run close to 20 miles every day to get this done – which is further than I’ve ever ran before in my life.
“Like most of us, I have a lot more time on my hands at the moment than usual.
“I feel really lucky to have food in my fridge, a nice place to live and a great company to work for. But it doesn’t seem very fair that I get to sit at home all day whilst thousands of NHS workers and volunteers risk their lives to keep us all safe.
“I’m going to try and raise some money for NHS Charities Together – for the NHS staff and volunteers caring for Covid-19 patients. Any money raised will go towards supporting the health and emotional wellbeing of those at the frontline of the NHS.”
Within just 24 hours of setting up a JustGiving page, Josh had raised over £2,000 and with just days to go before he embarks on the running challenge, the total has well surpassed the £3,000 mark.
Josh added: “It’s a bit of a daunting challenge. I’m hoping my knees hold up!
“I’m not a great runner. The furthest I’ve ever ran is just over 16 miles and that was just the once. I’ll need to run close to 20 miles every day of the week to get this done. If you have a few spare pounds that you could donate I’d really appreciate it.
“Amazing to be approaching £3,500! Thank you to everyone who has donated so far.”
To donate or follow Josh’s progress, visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/joshknight-5in7