Stevenage man Daniel Fairbrother is set to run the London Marathon with a fridge on his back, in aid of Diabetes UK.
Naming the appliance 'Tallulah', Daniel is aiming to beat the world record for the fastest marathon while carrying a household appliance.
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Speaking with The Comet, the 34-year-old detailed his reasons for taking on the challenge, the difficulties that he is facing and the reaction his training has received.
Reasons for taking on the challenge
Daniel started running two-and-a-half years ago, when he moved house following a divorce.
He said: "There was a gym across the road from where I was staying temporarily.
"I lived right above a pub, so I thought 'it's either the pub or the gym'. I don't want to be in the pub every night so I chose the gym."
His fridge-running story begins with "a heavy night of drinking" with his friend Sam, who lives with diabetes.
In the morning, Sam's wife told a hungover Daniel of how Diabetes UK were running a challenge in which participants run 100km in a month.
Sadly, "people didn't get behind it" and it didn't raise much money.
Daniel continued: "That really annoyed me, so I said 'look, it's been a flop, I need to do something'.
"I saw this marine who had run a marathon with a fridge on his back. So I said, 'I'll apply for a spot in the marathon, if I get it I'll run it with a fridge'.
"I think everyone just thought I was a bit mad at the time!"
Daniel has now set himself the challenge of beating the world record for running a marathon with an appliance, which currently sits at four hours, 52 minutes and 10 seconds.
He has started a JustGiving page, which has raised £454 so far out of a £2,100 target set by the charity.
Daniel told The Comet that he wants to exceed this target, and is aiming for £10,000.
The difficulties that Daniel is facing
Daniel has named the fridge 'Tallulah', after the bobsleigh in Cool Runnings, and is looking ahead to carrying it over the finish line as the Jamaican team did in the movie.
He stated: "For me, just to run the marathon isn't an achievement people will look at and get behind, so I've got to do something a bit different.
"What's the last thing you want to run with on your back? Well, most probably a fridge.
"It's not comfortable, it's an awkward size, it's heavy.
"There's a few challenges really. My biggest problem at the moment has been making sure that it's strapped on properly.
"I'm having to find this balance of having it done up tight enough so that it's comfortable, but also loose enough so that it doesn't restrict my breathing.
"My legs, I'm very worried that I'm getting shin splints or stress fractures because I'm running with about a third more of my body weight."
The reaction his training has received
Daniel said he was stopped by the police on one of his early runs with the fridge, with the officers curious about his intentions.
However, the officers soon shook his hand and wished him the best of luck, after Daniel had explained his challenge.
He continued: "Up until the point that I actually started going out with a fridge on my back, I think people thought that I was just joking.
"But then people starting seeing me, and the reaction has been very positive."
What's next for Daniel and Tallulah?
Daniel's partner has told him that Tallulah won't be returning from her trip to the capital, but he himself "is always thinking of the next challenge".
"The trouble is, there's always something going on in my head," Daniel added.
"I have this constant battle where I think 'hang on, park that, focus on the challenge now'.
"There will definitely be something, I'm not 100 per cent sure what it will be yet, but there will be something."
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