The London Marathon Run up: Firside Teacher runs 19 miles to school
A Wensum Trust teacher had a running start when he decided to run the 19 miles to school ahead of his lessons in order to get our students excited for his London Marathon debut later this month.
It was an unusually early start for school, when a teacher decided to swap his daily commute for a run, as part of his marathon training schedule.
James Adams set off from home at 5am on Friday 27 March to run around 19 miles to Firside Junior School in Norwich, arriving in time for the start of the morning’s lessons at 9am.
Mr Adams is Head of Year 5 at the school, which is a member of the Wensum Trust, and will be taking part in the London Marathon on Sunday 26 April, when he will be fundraising for the Friends of Firside.
“It is his first time running the London marathon, and he has chosen to fundraise for our school parent committee, Friends of Firside, who are always looking at ways to support the school through their fundraising efforts,” said Assistant Head of School Lucy Seagrave.
“They are helping us through their fundraising for a new set of iPads and investment in our outdoor play provision for lunchtimes.”
The event will be Mr Adams' third marathon in three years, after he successfully completed the Cromer Marathon in 2024, and the Brighton Marathon in 2025.
Pupils of all ages at Firside have been keen to show their support.
“We asked the children to support him by having a non-uniform day on the day he ran to school, where children paid 50p to wear non-uniform,” continued Mrs Seagrave.
“We also suggested they could run to school, if safe to do so, and wear active wear to support him on the day.
“We have also got other fundraising events in place, including a Guess the Sweets in a Jar, a cake sale, and movie nights to help raise money after the Easter Holidays.”
To support Mr Adams in the London Marathon, visit: https://gofund.me/5ac8bc017