Alex Paget, from Clapham, London, took on Sunday’s marathon dressed in a giant homemade brain costume to raise awareness of brain injury and Post-concussion syndrome (PCS), which he lives with, as well as funds for Headway- the brain injury association.
The 30-year-old insurance analyst has raised over a whopping £15,000 for the charity, which provides support, services and information to brain injury survivors and their loved ones.
Alex’s bright pink brain costume- made of PVC pipes, cardboard, expanding foam and fabric- added an additional 8kg to his race, with temperatures reaching a toasty 22 degrees on race day.
Alex crossed the finish line in an incredible four hours and 17 minutes, coining in almost £15,500 and counting for Headway.
Alex said: “Sunday was great fun – it was very painful and tough. I certainly underestimated the impact of running with the weight of the costume.
“The run was going as planned until the Isle of Dogs where I was no longer able to keep up the pace and then it was just a case of finishing.“But I am really happy with how it went!”
Avid runner Alex lives with PCS, a debilitating continuation of concussion symptoms, following an accident on his bike nearly four years ago while taking part in an Ironman challenge in France.
He still struggles with fatigue, headaches and cognitive issues, and faced several flare ups in the weeks leading up to the marathon, so “even turning up to the start line was an achievement, let alone getting round the route”, he said.
Alex added: “The support was incredible. Not a second went by where I couldn’t hear people shouting my name. “Each time I slowed down the support got louder - that helped massively.”
Alex said crossing the finish line left him feeling “so many different emotions”.
He said: “I felt emotional, excited, happy, and proud to have done it- to have come far enough to be able to do it.
“And finally relieved that I didn’t have to run any further in that costume!
“After the race, I spent some time with lots of family and friends who supported or ran the marathon, popped some Prosecco in the park to celebrate, before heading home for a well-earned flop on the sofa.
“Thank you so much to everyone who has donated and supported me throughout. “Headway were there for me throughout my recovery, and I want people to know about the charity and what they can offer in way of support.”
Holly Howey, Events Manager at Headway, said: “We are so unbelievably proud of Alex- and all of our runners- who ran in aid of Headway.
“A marathon is no mean feat and Alex not only achieved it but did so with the added weight of his amazing costume.
“We can’t thank all our runners enough for their efforts. Every penny they have raised goes towards helping survivors and their loved ones navigate life after brain injury.”
You can still donate to Alex’s fundraiser for Headway here.
For more information about concussion, you can visit our mild head injury and concussion page.
