Fundraiser’s ‘half’ effort is far from wishy-washy
A VISITING fundraising runner completed the recent Butterfield Half Marathon safe in the knowledge that at least he would not have to go far to throw his sweaty running gear into the washing machine.
Jason Bird, from Wickford in Essex, was running his 22nd half marathon this year, having also completed four full marathons, all with a washing machine on his back.
He has been travelling Britain raising funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital and completed the 13.1 miles around Guernsey’s coast in three hours and eight minutes, but admits he is not the best at publicising his extreme fundraising efforts.
‘I’m a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to social media,’ he said.
‘I know it is something I have to get better at.’
Mr Bird works as a sales rep and has been coming to Guernsey for 25 years.
‘I was on the island for an event at Norman Piette and thought I’d squeeze in the half marathon,’ he said.
‘So I put the washing machine in the car when I got the ferry.’
Mr Bird only started running when he secured a place in the London Marathon in 2021.
‘I put my name in the ballot and forgot about it.
‘The letter saying I got in came on my 50th birthday. I was 19 stone at the time and the entry was a wake-up call.
‘I ran that marathon normally but did not even raise funds for charity. When I decided to run another for Great Ormond Street, I googled “hardest way to run a marathon” and it came up “with a washing machine”. The whole thing just snowballed from there.
‘The more you do something the better you get at it – if I run without the washing machine now I feel a bit naked.’
He had chosen to support Great Ormond Street Hospital after his then six-month- old son, Jacob, fell gravely ill in 2008 and spent the next eight years being nursed back to health by staff at the hospital.
In 2023 Mr Bird completed three marathons and 12 half marathons with his washing machine, raising £5,700.
‘The Guernsey half marathon was truly one of the best I’ve run in the past two years,’ he said.
‘Perfect weather, unbelievable hospitality from the locals, with picturesque views along the entire course. Someone from Guernsey Athletics even gave me and the washing machine a lift back to my car.’
Mr Bird will make it 24 half marathons this year before finally plugging his washing machine back in, but his fundraising days are not over.
‘I’m planning something extraordinary for next year,’ he said. ‘I can’t say what it is yet but everyone should keep an eye out.’
To donate visit www.justgiving.com/page/gosh2024
