Coronavirus crisis: 'Grantham Gump' Tom puts NHS on the map with his marathon fundraiser
By The Editor
21st Apr 2020 | Local News
A Grantham dad has just ran 34 miles literally putting the NHS on the map as a fundraiser for it.
Tom Johnson also ran the shapes of dogs, a horse and a dinosaur on the map in preparation.
Designing the routes to fit the shapes of animals also helped relieve some lockdown boredom.
The 37-year-old raised £1500 for NHS Charities Together on Sunday, helped by match-funding from his employer Comparethemarket.com.
Tom planned to run to Nottingham along the Grantham Canal but government rules on non-essential travel meant he could no longer take the train back home.
It led him to draw the shape 'NHS' on a map, in honour of who he was fundraising for, starting from home and returning to it, a route he discovered was some 34 miles long.
Tom said he was inspired to do the run because the seven-year-old son of an old school friend ran a marathon in his back garden. That took place over Easter Weekend and raised £5,500.
"The furthest I've ever ran was the Portsmouth Marathon in December 2019. It hurt like hell and I vowed never again. But given the pain and commitment of NHS workers during this pandemic, I should at least try to push myself too," he said online.
After his preparations, Tom, who took up running a few years ago to improve his mental health, says he is now nicknamed the 'Grantham Gump' after the Tom Hanks movie 'Forest Gump'.
The father-of-two, plus a step-daughter, told Grantham Nub News today: "I would like to add that I'm very grateful to the support received from family and friends during the run especially as I was running in isolation for 34 miles. But special thanks goes to my new partner Gosia and her daughter Lydia, as they welcomed me home with chocolates, steak and a few cold beers!"
Anyone wishing to help Tom's total can contribute here.
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