Hull Trains employee, Mike Manders, recently tackled his first-ever London Marathon in his suit of armour, so far raising an incredible £2,800 for the charity Action for Children.
Since completing the Marathon, Mike has taken the decision to retire his famed suit of armour and donate it to the Action for Children fundraising museum, in the hope that it can inspire somebody else’s fundraising ventures.
Mike entered the London Marathon, going for a Guinness World Record, but the suit had other ideas, with crumbling parts hardly helping his running. Despite the suit letting him down, he still completed the marathon in an impressive 7 hours and 18 minutes and crossed the finish line with some of the suit still attached!
Mike has balloted again for the London Marathon 2023, taking place next April, and is currently on the hunt for a fresh new look for his future fundraising endeavours.
Mike, an on-board manager for Hull Trains, said: “I didn’t break the record, but I am still so pleased with how the day went. I’m feeling very sore now and I have the scabs and bruises to show but it was an incredible day. The crowd gave you the boost you needed exactly when you needed it, and the support was overwhelming. I’ve already put my ballot in for next year. I’m glad the suit has found a loving home with Action for Children in their museum. They’re a great charity to work with and I’m hoping the suit can act as some inspiration for future fundraisers.”
“I’d never say no to going for the record again, but next time I take on the challenge, I would definitely need to do it in a custom-made suit to avoid the challenges I had this time round. Of course, I would never do the marathon or any fundraising without some kind of fancy dress, it wouldn’t be me without it!”
Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Hull Trains added: “We are all so impressed with Mike’s efforts and we’re so proud to have him as part of our Hull Trains team. We’ll all be behind him for his next marathon and any future fundraising tasks he sets his sights on!”
Mike has raised an amazing £2,800 so far for his run for Action for Children and the pot is still open, if you’d like to donate you can do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mike-manders1
