James Campbell spent his 32nd birthday in quarantine running for a good cause

By Nicole Ganglani | Photo by Anthony Ward/Twitter

Former British javelin thrower James Campbell spent his 32nd birthday in quarantine running for a good cause, raising a total of $22,000 for the UK’s National Health Service to help fight the coronavirus pandemic. 

Campbell joined the #6metregardenmarathon challenge after one of his Twitter posts were retweeted 10,000 times. He set up his own fundraiser page where people donated then ran in his six-meter backyard and completed 42.2 kilometers in just over five hours. 

https://twitter.com/jcampbell0104/status/1244654961960652803

“I’m blown away by the response and can’t thank you enough. Can’t believe the amount of money raised. Over £20k so far. Please keep donating for our NHS!” Campbell said on Twitter.

Campbell ran back and forth 7,000 times to finish all 42.2 kilometers. Like Campbell, a lot of athletes around the world have taken the challenge of running a marathon in their respective homes. Last month, a Frenchman named Elisha Nochomorvitz ran a marathon on his balcony dedicated to medical practitioners fighting the virus.

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest sports news and active lifestyle and fitness features you need