Londoner Runs ‘Monopoly Board’ As Part Of 2,018km Challenge
Determined runner Jan Fisher felt compelled to take on a year-long running challenge after watching her father deteriorate from Alzheimer’s disease in recent years.
Jan, who lives near the Barbican, in the City fringes, decided to kick her year of running off by ticking off all of the famous streets and stations on the Monopoly Board, mostly in order, and even managed to bag a ‘community chest’ and ‘chance’. She found a ‘Monopoly Board’ on the pavement while covering the red section of the game in Trafalgar Square and got caught in a blizzard during the Beast from the East while running down the green section of the board in Regent’s Park.
However, when she ‘passed go’ and completed the board in a matter of weeks she’d already raised more than double the £200 figure you get for completing one lap of the board game.
Jan, who is retired and runs three to four days every week, has already clocked up more than 650km towards her 2,018km total including while on holiday in Malaga, Spain.
She said: “I decided to take on this mammoth challenge because my pops has got Alzheimer’s and he is in a care home now as he is no longer able to live at home.
“I have seen my dad go from playing tennis, rowing and swimming to no longer being able to do a lot of things. I can though, so I thought why not run 2,018km in 2018 and raise £2,018.
“I felt compelled to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK as great things have happened with cancer research because so many people got behind it and I want the same for dementia research.”
Jan, who only got into running when she completed a couch to 5k programme last year, has worked out that she needs to complete 168km a month or the equivalent of a marathon (26.2miles) every week, to hit her target by the end of the year.
The 58-year-old has now swapped the cold weather in London for the Adriatic Coast, in Italy, for the next six months and will continue to run while over there – though she will be facing much warmer weather.
Jan is keeping a regular blog about her adventures throughout the running challenge called Jan Can Run.
If you would like to help Jan reach her target of £2,018 visit her page.
Christie Hyland, Regional Fundraising Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:
“We are in awe of Jan’s determination to help power dementia research and find future treatments for people living with dementia. We loved that she made her challenge fun by completing the Monopoly board of London streets and can’t wait to see how her running goes in the coming months.
“Our mission is to bring about the first life-changing treatment for dementia by 2025 by funding pioneering research projects. This wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of people like Jan.”
If you’d like to take on your own running challenge why not sign up to Running Down Dementia which asks runners to run 100km and raise £100.
For further information about Alzheimer’s Research UK, or to find out more about fundraising for the charity, call 0300 111 5555 or visit www.alzheimersresearchuk.org
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