My Story

Lizanne Gumbel is running the London Marathon, but this time it's different! This time, she will be running it underwater!

Those of you who are familiar with London and are aware that it is, for the most part, not underwater may be skeptical of this claim. But I assure you that thanks to a newly discovered system of submerged passages this is entirely possible and not a joke. 

The other thing that isn't a joke is the extreme difficulty of running a marathon underwater. Water it actually denser and more viscous than air which makes it harder to move through!

Also, Lizanne will be running in a copper diving suit which is almost as heavy as her usual spring attire of six jumpers, two raincoats, and a woolly scarf. The ancient Aztec tunnels which form the new marathon route happen to be home to several species of sharks, jellyfish, piranhas, and the recently discovered Aquatyrannus Giganticus Rex.

Luckily Lizanne will be equipped with a speargun and a whistle so none of these will present any problems or danger. Lizanne's suit is able to store up to two hours of oxygen which should be plenty, so long as she doesn't breathe more heavily than normal, and is able to comfortably beat Kipchoge's world record under these slightly sub-optimal conditions.

The sewers under London may be cold, dark, and full of smallpox but Lizanne is doing this for a good cause. Look is a small but mighty charity that supports visually impaired young people and their families to thrive. If Lizanne can help them by wrestling a giant squid with her bare hands during mating season, you can help too by sponsoring her!