An Oakham School pupil is switching his advent calendar for a gruelling challenge by running 25 half marathons in 25 days during the lead up to Christmas. 

Jonathan, who is in Form 7 (Year 13), has chosen to do the challenge to raise money for Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a charity close to his heart.

Starting on the 1st of December 2022, the challenge will run until Christmas Day, where Jonathan will tackle his last half marathon before tucking into his Christmas dinner. 

Jono running (image courtesy of Oakham School)

Jonathan said: "I chose to do this because I know a lot of people, including myself, struggled with their mental health during lockdown and it's something I wanted to raise awareness and money for." 

"I knew I wanted to push myself to my limit so I chose running because, whilst it's something I enjoy, running a half marathon every day for nearly a month will be really tough. Before this, I tended to run once or twice a week, but I wouldn't say I'm an exceptional runner. I'm hoping to be by the end of this though!"

Jonathan has a large support network who are joining him on some of the runs, including fellow pupils, staff members and even a celebrity guest. Each evening after the activity, he will host a podcast on mental health which will also include a range of guests.

As a weekly boarding pupil, a lot of the runs will be based around Oakham and in Rutland so Jonathan will seek out the flatter routes where he can. He is currently training by running 10km a day and has planned out several routes to mix up his half marathons. 

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He added: "I'm lucky to have a lot of support at School as there are a few members of staff I've been able to turn to for advice. Mr Ross, my Housemaster, is a keen runner so he's been giving me a few tips. I have also spoken to our Director of Athletics Mr Vandoros and my Politics teacher Mr Sanders who have shared their wisdom." 

Jono (left) with his friends and t-shirts (image courtesy of Oakham School)

It's not just the challenge of going the distance that Jonathan is preparing for, as he has a sensible action plan for his time out of his running trainers as well.

He said: "The most important thing in the challenge is the recovery before and after each run so I'm going to make sure I do a lot of stretching, take ice baths and use a massage gun and foam roller to help my muscles." 

To support Jonathan's fundraising efforts, click here.  

Last year, Jonathan also ran 10km a day over two weeks to raise money and awareness for Neuroendocrine Cancer UK, receiving over £2,750 in donations.

Find out more about Charity Fundraising at Oakham School.