Chapmans On The Run – 20 Marathons in May for Mind

Teamed up with his brothers, FCD Sales Advisor Lewis Chapman donned his running gear and set out to run the distance of 20 marathons in just one month in support of mental health charity Mind.

Due to lockdown and the various restrictions imposed, everyday life had to change temporarily. Out of the blue, and after seeing Captain Tom's achievement, Sales Advisor, Lewis Chapman and his brothers decided to set their own challenge - running... something they could do individually using the guideline’s one exercise per day. All five brothers would get involved and call it "Chapman's on the Run".

 
Lewis said: “It’s been great to see how many people have come together raising money for the NHS, but it also highlighted how many other great causes must be struggling in these times. So many fundraising events like the London marathon have unfortunately been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, resulting is much less exposure for many charities. It was clear to us from the outset that the current situation could impose a big strain on the mental health of our communities, and it is important that people have somewhere to turn when things get too much. This is why we decided to support MIND - The mental health charity.”

 
 Awareness surrounding mental health has been increasing, but the Chapmans felt it was now more important than ever to address it, considering:

 
 - The people who have sadly lost someone they love
 - The people who are suffering domestic abuse
 - The additional strain on many key workers, including NHS staff along with countless others
 - The lack of job security for many people, due to the economic uncertainty and business cash flow problems
 - The negative mental effects as a result of self-isolation itself

 
Depression... anxiety... stress... loneliness... grief... feeling trapped... These emotions are all going to be heightened during these deeply challenging times and they felt it was crucial that people have someone to talk to if anything becomes too much.

 
Considering it was a last minute decision with little experience and minimal preparation, Lewis and his brothers worked out the numbers and initially set a challenge to run a combined 15 Marathons in May. 


At the half way, all was going well so they decided to test themselves further increase this target to 19 marathons, to further support those suffering the negative mental effects of COVID-19. 


But they didn’t stop there! As support grew, they agreed with their followers that if they exceeded their £1,000 raised target, they would add an extra marathon - meaning the finish line was a further 33% away than the initial plan!


Through heat, dehydration, blisters, muscle pain and mental fatigue, the team completed 31 consecutive gruelling days and each contributed so many hours and many miles in order to complete this impressive challenge.


On the 30th day they pushed even harder and overreached our new target of a combined 20 marathons. 


That night they decided to go all out and exhaust every last ounce of energy they had left on the final day, and although the number of marathons was complete, the 31 consecutive days wasn't. On the final day we ran a collective 2 marathons, finishing the month with a total of 623 miles, just under 24 Marathons in May for MIND - The Mental Health Charity. 


Lewis explained: “Three of my brothers had never ran before this challenge and each of them have achieved a 10km PB run which goes to show the determination and willpower to push more than any of us thought possible.
 

After completing this challenge all of our bodies feel broken and in pain but the blisters will heal and the muscles will repair and we hope to have helped during this worrying time. This is going to go towards helping some of those most in need right now who are struggling with mental health problems, and who knows, we might have just saved a life or two ❤️
 

Thank you to everyone for the support and the money raised is going to a great cause.”
 
Please, if you can, take a moment to read more about the Chapmans story here:
 
 https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Chapmans-On-The-Run

FCD Summary

We are so proud of Lewis and his brothers. They not only turned a difficult lockdown situation into something positive and have shown true grit, determination and spirit to make a real difference and raise awareness for an important cause.

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