Royal Marine to take on punishing lockdown challenge

A Royal Marine is taking on a punishing commando challenge during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown – it involves running a marathon and climbing four times the height of The Shard.

From home, Captain Tom Lawson, who works from 3 Commando Brigade headquarters in Plymouth, and his brother Ralph are taking on a lockdown version of the Ben Nevis Marathon – a race to the top of the British Isles’ highest mountain and back down again. 

That’s running 26.2 miles and completing 260 individual 18ft rope climbs to ascend the 4,413ft equivalent height of the mountain in the Scotland Highlands.

Capt Lawson isn’t just doing this to fulfil his commando appetite for a gruelling test, he is raising money for the NHS, Age UK and the Royal Marines Charity.

The aim is to raise cash to help key workers during these uncertain times by putting himself and his brother through a physically and mentally demanding challenge.

“With the nation in lockdown, my brother and I wanted to do what we could to support the vulnerable and the key workers by raising funds,” Capt Lawson said.

“We wanted to do something that was physically and mentally arduous, but could be done from our home, so came up with the idea of running and rope climbing a Lockdown Ben Nevis Marathon.

“This means running 26.2 miles and completing 260 18ft ropes to ascend the 4,413ft of Ben Nevis, equivalent to more than four times the height of The Shard.

“We are sticking to what is close to the heart of all Royal Marines – rope climbs, running and mountains!”

The brothers live on a farm and will use a barn to do the rope climb, while a 300 metre stretch of farm track will act as the running area for the marathon.

You can follow their progress HERE.