A British Airways pilot has taken part in a huge charity event that celebrates the fundraising bonanza that is the Virgin Money London Marathon. On Sunday, the 2020 London Marathon road race should have taken place but like so many events has been postponed and could be cancelled because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Last year, charity fundraisers taking part in the marathon raised an incredible £66.4 million for thousands of charities. But many of those charities now fear a major cash crisis because of the sudden stoppage in fundraising activities.
So the marathon organisers had an idea… runners who were meant to have taken part in Sunday’s event could instead do an activity to raise money for charity while also abiding by social distancing rules. It’s been dubbed the 2.6 challenge because participants can do any sport that involves the numbers 2 and 6 – like running 2.6 miles or doing a Zoom group class with 26 people.
The #TwoPointSixChallenge was taken up by one British Airways pilot who decided to run 2.6 miles by doing a lap of a Boeing 777 at 30,000 feet while flying to China to pick up vital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
British Airways is now operating 21 flights a week between London and China in order to bring back 770 tonnes of cargo a week for the National Health Service.
