From head shave to London Marathon: Running in memory of Brody

A Northamptonshire man is preparing to take on the 2027 London Marathon in support of Northamptonshire Health Charity, with a fundraising target of £2,500 and a deeply personal reason behind his challenge.

After being accepted for a charity place on 13th July, Joel Beeney has already begun planning a series of fundraising challenges, with the ultimate aim of exceeding his £2,500 target.

With marathon training due to begin once the cricket season comes to an end, the timing may have worked in his favour, given the heatwave experienced across the UK this summer.

The first fundraising challenge was a head shave, with a promise that if £250 was raised by the end of July, Joel would have his hair shaved down to a grade 0.5 at Jen’s Barbers in Raunds.

The target was reached, meaning the clippers came out and the challenge was completed.

However, the marathon is about much more than simply completing 26.2 miles or reaching a fundraising target. Joel will be running in memory of his son, Brody, while raising money for Northamptonshire Health Charity’s Twinkling Stars Appeal, which supports families experiencing baby loss.

Since receiving confirmation of his place, Joel has been working on further fundraising ideas and hopes to build on the money already raised as preparations for the marathon gather pace.

For more information about Joel’s story, the reason behind the challenge and his fundraising for the Twinkling Stars Appeal, please visit his fundraising page.
Every donation and message of support will help him get closer to his goal — and help keep Brody’s memory at the heart of the challenge.

Visit https://2027tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/joel-beeney to donate