Jersey fundraiser finishes seven marathon in seven days

Written by

admin

in

Chris Craddock

BBC Jersey communities reporter

BBC James crosses the finish line of a marathon in an urban square, triumphantly holding a golden inflatable number '7'. A red ribbon marks the finish, held by another person. Behind James, other participants cheer and clap, with tall buildings and a clear blue sky in the backgroundBBC

James Hadley-Piggin crossed the finish line in Weighbridge Place

A Jersey fundraiser finished his challenge to run seven marathons in seven days.

James Hadley-Piggin did it to raise more than £3,000 for charity AllMatters Neurodiverse Jersey, which raises awareness of neurodiversity.

The 27-year-old took on the 26.2 mile (42km) courses in England, Wales, Guernsey, Sark and Jersey and was joined by fellow runners, friends and family. He completed the last course in Jersey on Sunday and dozens of people gathered to cheer him on at the end.

Mr Hadley-Piggin said: “I’m a bit tired if I’m honest and overwhelmed” and “I’m so amazed by the support that I’ve had throughout the challenge”.

James stands in a sunny urban street holding a small trophy in their left hand. They wear a black athletic vest with two water bottles on the front and a circular emblem patch. Behind them, people walk along the street lined with buildings under a clear blue sky

Mr Hadley-Piggin was presented with a trophy after finishing his challenge

Mr Hadley-Piggin added: “Being neurodivergent doesn’t just finish after a marathon or a couple of days – you have it for life and it’s how you manage it – so when people told me I could stop and walk I would remind them you don’t stop being neurodivergent and I’d continue running.”

James Hadley-Piggin James stands near a waterfront holding a large gold balloon shaped like the number '4'. They wear an orange sleeveless top, black shorts, and a hydration pack. Behind them, boats are docked and buildings line the shore under a clear blue skyJames Hadley-Piggin

Mr Hadley-Piggin’s fourth marathon was in Guernsey before he travelled to Sark for the next challenge

The marathon in Guernsey was the warmest day of his challenges, while Sark was the most technically challenging, he said.

“Guernsey was a tough one psychologically because I was on my own for most of it”, adding he had written “a song to get me through it”.

“Sark was physically the toughest because it’s very hilly and I ran with the head of the island’s run club, Alex Magell, and he very kindly ran with me the whole way,” he added.

The money from the fundraising will help pay for an event AllMatters Neurodiverse Jersey is hosting with Mr Hadley-Piggin called Breaking Barriers, to help those within the neurodiverse community find sports and activities that can help them.

Niamh has long hair stands in a sunny public square holding a red object. Behind her, people walk and talk near buildings under a clear blue sky

Niamh McDermott, from AllMatters Neurodiverse Jersey, was amazed by Mr Hadley-Piggin’s fundraising

Niamh McDermott is the co-founder of the charity AllMatters Neurodiverse Jersey and presented a trophy to Mr Hadley-Piggin at the end of his challenge.

She said: “I’ve got butterflies from waiting for him because it has been phenomenal.” She added: “I do not know how he has done this.”

Ms McDermott added: “Each time someone like James steps up, it makes a huge difference to awareness too and people start to see that there’s more than one face to being autistic or having ADHD.”

Continue Reading

More posts