Big Ben marathon runner exceeds fundraising target by 600% after finish line mishap
Lukas Bates has raised more than £6,000 for Alzheimer's research
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Your support makes all the difference.The man who ran the London Marathon dressed as Big Ben has exceeded his fundraising target by more than 600 per cent.
Lukas Bates hit headlines after competing in the race on Sunday because he was unable to cross the finish line due to the height of his costume.
Bates had set out to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon time dressed as a landmark, but he fell short by 20 minutes with a time of three hours and 54 minutes.
It’s not all bad news though, as a clip of Bates attempting to finish the race soon went viral, showing him being helped over the finish line by a race volunteer.
Bates was promptly invited onto breakfast television to talk about the incident, giving him the opportunity to plug his fundraising efforts for Alzheimer’s Research UK and Dementia Revolution, for whom he’d hoped to raise £1,000.
However, Bates has far exceeded his fundraising expectations, having raised more than £6,400 at the time of writing.
“This charity is close to my heart as I have first hand experienced the effects of this to very close family members as they have battled with this disease,” Bates writes on his fundraising page in reference to Alzheimer's.
“My Nanny (Pat Jackson) passed away last year after losing her battle with this, she had this horrible disease for many years and lost a lot of who she was through this. I saw how this not only impacted on herself but also all of her close friends and family around her.”
Bates added that the condition affects other members of his family, including his grandmother, Alex.
(AP)
“I have seen the deterioration and change in characteristics and would be so grateful for any and all donations to assist in the prevention and treatment of this illness for others going forward.”
This year, a record 42,906 runners competed in the 26.2-mile race.
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