Hartlepool man's half marathon wheelchair gnome run capture's town's attention

He had been due to run in the Sunderland Half Marathon on Sunday, May 10, but instead ran the same distance while pushing a wheelchair carrying a large garden gnome through the streets of Hartlepool.

Jamie – and Nigel the gnome – caught lost of people’s attention as he ran past in his luminous yellow jacket and motivational music blaring out of a magaphone.

It all helped to raise £1,500 for Hartlepool Special Needs Support Group (HSNSG) which Jamie is a trustee of and his brother Andrew attends.

He said: “Andrew has been going to the charity since day one so it’s a cause that’s very close to our hearts.

“Instead of putting my training for the marathon to waste I thought ‘I’ll run around the streets of Hartlepool’.

“I normally do the Great North Run and push Andrew in his wheelchair but I couldn’t on Sunday as he is in lockdown.

“I love gnomes and am a bit of a collector so I thought ‘put one in the wheelchair and away we go’.”

Supported by his wife Emma on a bike, Jamie set off from their home on the Fens estate and ran through central Hartlepool to Easington Road and back again.

The route was specially designed to go past the homes of as many members of HSNSG as possible, many of whom egged him on from their doorsteps.

Around half the money Jamie raised came poured in after setting off.

He completed the 13.1 mile course in two hours and ten minutes.

Jamie, a Software Development Manager for Quorum Development Ltd at Sedgefield, added: “I’d like to say a big thank you from myself to everyone who supported me on the day, my wife Emma riding with me, Sam and Shaun from HSNSG providing social media posts and videos and everyone who came to their doorsteps to cheer me on.

“Well done Hartlepool!”

To add to Jamie’s total, visit 13.1 Mile Gnome Wheechair Run at VirginMoneyGiving

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