But in March, Marc Petters took his passion to another level – running 31 half marathons in 31 days, all without training, to raise money for two causes close to his heart.
Marc, who has served at Sidcup Fire Station for six years, first discovered his love for fundraising in February 2021, during the height of the pandemic.
He told the News Shopper: “In February 2021 everything was crazy and everyone was down, so I decided to do some charity work.
“I ran 21 miles in one month and raised £55,000 for a premature baby unit and a mental health unit, and it gave me the bug for helping people.”
Since then, Marc has taken on huge endurance challenges, including marathons and the IRONMAN Calella-Barcelona triathlon.
But his latest effort was one of his toughest yet – running 31 half marathons in 31 days throughout March to raise funds for The Tommy Crush Foundation and Hudson the Superhero Charity.
Marc explained: “I have a passion for raising money.
“I am a trustee for Tommy Crush – we’re a charity that supports children between 14-24 who are vulnerable to suicide and put on workshops.
“Right now, we’re funding workshops for grassroots football clubs, helping players with their mental health.
“We also plan to go into schools to chat with pupils from Year 6 and above about the pressures of school, exams, exercise, and other challenges.”
Through his involvement with Erith Town Football Club, Marc met Hudson, a 10-year-old boy with cerebral palsy, and was immediately inspired to help.
“Hudson is a 10-year-old boy, who has cerebral palsy, and after spending five minutes in their company, he inspired me to want to do something to help,” Marc added.
Hudson underwent life-changing SDR surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital in February 2020.
Since then, ongoing specialist treatment and equipment have been crucial to his progress.
Marc said: “After being told he may not be able to walk, Hudson’s determination enabled him to climb a mountain 18 months ago.
Determined to make a difference, Marc set out to run a half marathon every day in March – with no prior training.
“I took proof every day to show I’d done it, and everyone seemed to like it on my Instagram,” he said.
“I would screenshot my Runkeeper app and the routes I did, which helped raise awareness.”
Fifty percent of the money raised went to The Tommy Crush Foundation, and the other half went to Hudson the Superhero Charity.
Marc initially aimed to raise £10,000 – enough to cover the cost of Hudson’s £5,000 wheelchair – but donations kept rolling in, and the total now stands at £13,500 and counting.
The fundraiser’s grand finale took place on Sunday (March 30), and the community came out in full force to support Marc.
A raffle and auction helped boost the funds, with prizes ranging from baked cookies to free gutter cleaning, football courses, MOT services, and even two hours of gardening.
The highlight of the day, however, was Hudson himself.
Marc explained: “Hudson ran the last 100 metres. They shut the road off and put the blue sirens on the fire engine.
“If I could bottle up the feeling at the end, I would be a billionaire – there was so much love on Sunday.”
Running 31 half marathons in a row is no easy feat, and Marc admits there were moments when he hit a wall – both physically and mentally.
He explained: “On March 15, both collided, and I thought I couldn’t do this.
“I have four kids, two jobs, and fitting this in every day around my kids and work was hard.”
Every Thursday, Marc coaches children aged 5-11 with disabilities at Erith Town Football Club.
He has also worked with a south London mental health facility, coaching inpatients in football.
“We now have a team out of it, and we’ve got into a league with a cup,” he said.
Marc credits the London Fire Brigade for supporting his charitable efforts, allowing him to make an impact both inside and outside of work.
“I love helping people”, he added, “I don’t want to be known as someone who works hard – I want to make a difference for people.”
