A group of friends from Liverpool who are taking on a 34-mile wheelbarrow race for charity have beaten their fundraising target with over three weeks to go before they take on the challenge.
The challenge, called ‘Barrow for Bonemarrow’, will see the 16 friends take it in turns to push each other in a wheelbarrow between the Etihad Stadium in Manchester and Anfield on Saturday 12th April – the same weekend the two teams play when Liverpool host Manchester City.
Robbie Fearns and Andy Coles came up with the challenge to raise money for the Anthony Nolan Foundation, which supported Robbie and his family after his son Charlie was diagnosed with and beat Leukaemia.
They set the initial target of trying to raise £3,400 for the charity – a thousand pounds for every mile they would do.
However, with 26 days still to go until they take on the race, they have reached their target and they have now set a new figure of £5,000.
Mr Coles told JMU Journalism: “We’re just trying to drum up as much publicity as possible now. We’re happy to have reached the initial target. That’s brilliant and we think we can get more. We’re all pretty much ready for it and the training’s going really well and we’re just sorting the logistics of it all at the moment.”
In addition to the wheelbarrow challenge they now also plan to have a fundraising night at Hannah’s Bar on Hardman Street on the same evening. They will be raffling and auctioning off signed sports memorabilia donated to them for the cause.
Some of the signed prizes that will be up for raffle include a Liverpool shirt, a pair of Daniel Sturridge’s boots, an Everton football shirt autographed by the whole team and some Jamie Carragher memorabilia.
The wheelbarrow idea was inspired by Andy’s experience when he took part in The Great North Run.
He told JMU Journalism: “Something clicked in my head and that’s when I thought we need to do something a bit different and I just said to Robbie, ‘what about something stupid like a wheelbarrow race?’ Robbie then came up with the phrase ‘Barrow for Marrow’ and it just stuck and it’s catchy.”
The boys will be setting off at 2am on the day and they hope to complete the challenge within 12 hours.