Derby IT recruitment consultant Adam Fairfield (26) is gearing up for the second leg of his three-part trans-Atlantic marathon challenge in a bid to raise money for a charity close to his heart.
Adam, who lives in Heanor and works in the IT recruitment division of Syntax in College Place, has already completed the Edinburgh Marathon in May. He is tackling the Robin Hood half marathon in September and then finishing with the New York Marathon – the world’s largest event of its kind – on November 4.
He set himself a challenge to raise £2000 for the Children with Leukaemia charity but is already three quarters of the way to his target – spurred on by a family friend whose young son is in remission with the disease.
Adam explained: “I used to have a horrendous lifestyle – smoking, drinking and partying every weekend but then suddenly decided this time last year to clean up my act and get in training to run a marathon.
“My ultimate goal was New York and I was delighted when I was accepted as one of the 30,000 runners out of 90,000 applications.
“I am training hard covering up to 40 miles a week as well as gym sessions and I hope to complete New York in under four hours which would be a great achievement as it will be only my second full marathon.
“Edinburgh was very tough – especially the last few miles when you are purely running on adrenaline and sheer determination. Crossing the finishing line was extremely emotional as a lot of my friends had come to cheer me on.
“Children with Leukaemia is a small charity so you know that the money raised is not being swallowed up in huge administration costs. It is a cause very close to my heart due to some good friends having to see their young son go through gruelling treatment. He is in remission at the moment and doing well but hopefully this money will help others like him battle this very common disease.
“My family, friends and especially colleagues at Syntax have been very supportive and I have so far raised £1,500 with two events to go.”
