Celebrities And Sports Stars Join In 2.6 Challenge

Organisers of the 2.6 Challenge, a campaign created by a group of the country’s biggest mass participation sport events who are coming together with the aim of helping save the UK’s charities facing an estimated £4 billion shortfall due to the coronavirus pandemic, have unveiled a host of celebrities taking part.

The event takes place on Sunday 26th April and encourages the public to get involved by performing any task – fitness related or not – related to 2.6, 26, or 260. That number is in honour of both the date and the 26-mile London Marathon course, which was supposed to be filled with runners on the same day. Last year, the marathon raised more than £66 million for charity, making it one of the biggest single fundraising days for UK charities.

With days still to go before the event officially begins, organisers say that fundraising has already broken the £1.5 million mark, but that figure is expected grow rapidly from Sunday. 

“The 2.6 Challenge can be anything that works for you,” says Nick Rusling, Co-Chair of the Mass Participation Sports Organisers group (MSO) and CEO of Human Race. “You can run or walk 2.6 miles, 2.6km or for 26 minutes. You could do the same in your home or garden, go up and down the stairs 26 times, juggle for 2.6 minutes, do a 26 minute exercise class or get 26 people on a video call and do a 26 minute workout – anything you like. We want people to get active, have fun and raise money to help Save the UK’s Charities by giving money or raising funds for the charity close to your heart.”

A host of celebrities are lending their support to the campaign including the likes of Ellie Goulding, Stephen Fry, Clare Balding, and Piers Morgan, while huge list of sports stars past and present including Jonny Wilkinson, Gareth Bale, Karen Carney, Andrew Strauss, and Chris Froome have all pledged to part.

A group of 26 Olympic rowers led by multiple World Championship and Olympic gold medal winners Sir Matthew Pinsent and Helen Glover and featuring Dame Katherine Grainger and Sir Steven Redgrave, are taking on a rowing marathon relay with each completing 2.6km on the rowing machine, all whilst maintaining a maximum rate of 26.

Sebastian Coe, President, World Athletics, meanwhile, is fundraising for Greenhouse Sports, and is taking on five challenges over five days – with his latest seeing him complete 26 sets of 26 ab crunches.

“For many of the UK’s charities, the day of the London Marathon is the biggest fundraising day of the year,” said Hugh Brasher, Co-Chair of MSO and Event Director of London Marathon Events. “One of the founding pillars of the London Marathon was ‘to show how the family of mankind can be united’. We hope that The 2.6 Challenge, which starts on the day our 40th Race should have taken place, will embody that spirit and inspire people, families and communities to fundraise for their chosen charity to help Save the UK’s Charities. Right now, our vulnerable members of society need the help of charities more than ever before. We are asking everyone to create a 2.6 Challenge of their own and raise funds or pledge a donation.”

Donations of £5, £10 or £20 can be made via text by texting the word five / ten / twenty to 70165.