James completes a marathon for his 2.6 Challenge, read his story below

What inspired you to get involved in the 2.6 Challenge in aid of Vista?

If the current Covid-19 situation has taught us anything is to be grateful for what you have and help in any way you can those who are in need. 

When I heard from Martin (Martin Gwilliam, Vista Volunteer) about the 2.6 challenge it was impossible not to get involved. I have previously heard from him about the work Vista do there and was excited to be involved.

How did you find the challenge on the day?

I decided it was best to get an early start so I started at 7am. It was the perfect time to start as it was a great temperature to run in and was obviously really quiet. I had a drinks and food station set up so I could refuel when I needed to. I also had sun cream, as it was really hot and sunny towards the end of my challenge.

The run was tough! With me having to do so many of laps of the same route, there were a lot more twists and turns than there would be on a normal marathon. This meant it was difficult to get any real rhythm will all the stops and starts. By the end of the run this had really taken it’s toll on my joints and this was by far the hardest part of the challenge.

What kept you going?

I trained as Visual Artist and have many times discussed with studio mates and artist colleagues the importance of sight to everything we do. It is therefore a cause I feel in some way connected to so this was definitely what kept me going. Leicester is also in my home town even though I now live in London so that also helped!

How did you feel afterwards? 

I was pretty broken! My knees and hips were really sore so I lay down in my garden when I finished. I tried not to stay there for too long as I started to seize up but after a hot bath and some food I felt much better. I even managed to get out in the garden later in the afternoon with my daughter.