social distancing

British Man Runs Marathon in Backyard During Lockdown

Neighbors poked their heads over the backyard fence to give Campbell encouragement

James Campbell runs a charity marathon to raise funds for the NHS, in his garden, while the country is in lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus, in Cheltenham, England, April 1, 2020.
Jacob King/PA via AP

Being stuck at home didn't stop a British man from running an outdoor marathon.

James Campbell, a former professional javelin thrower, spent his 32nd birthday on Wednesday doing 6-meter (20-foot) shuttles from one end of his small backyard to the other after promising to run a marathon if one of his Twitter messages received 10,000 retweets.

By the time Campbell completed the marathon in just over five hours, he had raised more than 18,000 pounds ($22,000) for Britain’s National Health Service to help battle the coronavirus pandemic.

The effort — labeled the #6metregardenmarathon — was live-streamed, with former England soccer great Geoff Hurst among the viewers. Neighbors 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 6-meter (20-foot) stretches. He calculated he would have to traverse his yard at least 7,000 times to reach 42.2 kilometers (26.2 miles).

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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