COVID-19 isn’t stopping some people from accomplishing what they set out to do, like this man who ran The London Half-Marathon from his balcony during self-quarantine. After the 13.1-mile run was canceled, the determined runner ran thousands of laps around his outdoor balcony and was quickly recognized for his dedication.
Events worldwide are being canceled, but that didn’t stop one man from running in The London Landmarks Half-Marathon
Sam Hustler, is a 27-year-old from England, who had been training fiercely for the 13.1-mile marathon before it was canceled. Rather than let all that training go to waste, Sam decided to do something different.
While he could have safely run a half-marathon on his own route around the city, he has been in self-isolation with his girlfriend after she developed a fever and cough.
It was going to be my first ever half-marathon and I was excited to do it, so it was devastating when it was canceled, I had put so much training in and it’s such a great cause I am running for, that I still wanted to do it anyway I could.” Sam explained.
After seeing a man who ran a full marathon on his balcony in France, Sam got the idea and decided to run with it, literally
A huge reason Sam just couldn’t give up on the run was the charity he selected to raise money for. That charity is The Haven House Children’s Hospice, which was established in 1990. Since then, they’ve been helping children with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses in any way they can.
“I really wanted to do it for Haven House and raise as much money as possible. They’ve been going since 1990 and they’ve just put up an emergency appeal for funding. All their fundraising events have been canceled and their charity shops have had to close, which was a major source of their income.” Said Sam.
His goal was to raise $620, but he almost quadrupled that number, running 5,000 laps on his balcony
Before this run, Sam had never done more than an 11-mile jog. However, he was able to complete the 13.1-mile run by lapping his outdoor balcony a whopping 5,000 times! Raising $2,400 for The Haven House Children’s Hospice, close to 4 times the amount he’s originally planned to raise.
When talking about why he chose that charity, Sam said:
“They are an amazing charity that believes in the best possible life for every baby and child with a life-limited or life-threatening conditions. They do so much for families who live in my community and I’ve seen the work they have done, which is absolutely amazing.”
We agree. The HHCH is an incredible charity and they’re in desperate need of help
With COVID-19 wreaking havoc on economies all around the world, the Have House Children’s Hospice is in desperate need of donations. Every penny counts, you can help by donating through this link.
What an amazing guy, Sam can be a great example during these difficult times. By not giving up, we can all get through this crippling outbreak. Now more than ever, people who have the means need to step up and do their part to help everyone, especially kids in need. To see more on this balcony marathon runner, watch the video below!
