Support #TeamREDRESS at the Virtual London Marathon 2020
The London Marathon may look a bit different this year. For John, it’s Gladstone Park and Welsh Harp Reservoir instead of Greenwich and Westminster. For Chris, it’s the usual route, but in reverse, and starting in the small hours of the morning. But their fundraising efforts are needed more than ever.
COVID-19 may have brought the world to a halt, but it hasn’t stopped torture. In fact, we are concerned that it has caused an increase in the use of torture around the world, to enforce lockdown measures and intimidate protesters.
On 4th October, with the normal Marathon reserved for elite athletes as a coronavirus precaution, our six amazing runners will be taking to the streets and parks across the country to complete the Virtual London Marathon and raise funds for REDRESS.
We are asking you to support their efforts by donating to #TeamREDRESS. Your donations are sent directly to our charity, providing vital resources for us to help torture survivors who have survived horrific abuse to achieve the justice they deserve.
The importance of REDRESS’ work motivated Ellie Piper to persevere with training and continue her fundraising efforts.
“REDRESS’ work protecting the human rights of vulnerable people is, heartbreakingly, more and more relevant and I am really glad to be able to do my bit to support them,” said Ellie.
We’re so proud of our runners – Chris, Ellie, George, Hjalti, John and Walker – who have pushed past the setback of the initial postponement and are once again rising to the challenge of covering the standard 26.2 mile distance on behalf of REDRESS. They will track their runs using an app so they can receive their medal and official T-shirt at the end.
Chris, whose plan is to reach the usual start line in Greenwich by 8am, before final preparations for the elite event begin, said:
“This is clearly a daft idea, and one that can only be justified by supporting a worthy cause. Any donations would be very gratefully received (and will help me justify to myself why I am running the empty streets in the pitch black in the wee small hours!).”
Walker has stayed positive about the run, despite the difficulties brought by coronavirus:
“While disappointed about the lack of crowds and atmosphere, I’m determined to still run the London streets I call home and collect the 40th medal and shirt. 2020 has been a tough year for most, I will run as a mark of defiance in tough times.”
Sponsor our team to make a difference in the fight against torture:
Or support an individual campaign by clicking on a name below:
Chris Ellie George John Walker
Thank you once more to everyone who has supported our marathon runners, and good luck to our team on the day!