Town Supporters Trust chairman Carl Day is aiming to raise £10,000 for the British Heart Foundation by running this Sunday’s London Marathon dressed in a suit of 15th Century armour. You may have seen Carl giving the outfit a pre-race run out around the Portman Road pitch at half-time during the Blues’ recent victory over Reading.

Carl says his chosen charity is one which means a lot to him and his family: “My daughter Megan has a heart condition and the treatment she received was developed thanks to fundraising by the British Heart Foundation, so we feel we owe them a great deal. I’m doing this to pay them back for that help.

“My original target was £5,000 but due to the level of support so far, I have raised it to £10,000.”

In addition to traditional sponsorship, Carl has come up with other methods of raising cash ahead of the marathon on April 25th: “I have managed to sell advertising space on both the armour and shield with Town academy sponsor ROL exclusively purchasing the shield after seeing me at half-time at Portman Road.

“If companies keep sponsoring me by purchasing advertising space on the suit of armour, then I expect to look like a 15th Century Formula One driver in armour!”

Unsurprisingly, Carl isn’t looking to complete the marathon in a particularly quick time: “I expect to complete it in between 10 and 12 hours, but this current warm spell is making it a lot more difficult, especially with the fact that the arms of the armour don't allow me enough room to get my hands to my mouth, so have to get someone to feed me drinks. I am currently asking the London Marathon organisers to allow me a support person.

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“The armour, chainmail and shield come in at six and a half stone and I sweat so much that I won't have any fear of ‘doing a Paula Radcliffe', which is a blessing as it takes about seven or eight minutes to get out of the armour, and that's with help.”

Donations to Carl’s cause can be made here, while the Just Giving website has written a runner blog on Carl, which can be found here.

You can see Carl in full 'athletic' action here.

Photo: Action Images

Racylad added 13:37 - Apr 13 I would like to say thank you to all those who have mad the effort to sponsor me.
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stickymockwell added 19:42 - Apr 13 Full respect to you! Good luck.
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arc added 02:39 - Apr 14 Madness!
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multipulemicky added 06:14 - Apr 14 good luck matey
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utrechtblue added 09:15 - Apr 14 best of luck carl or as they say here Success! i am sure Megan will be hugely proud and I hope to see you on the day. I was at the rotterdam marathon on sunday and really enjoyed it but was surprised and disappointed that so few people were running for causes (at least publicly) or handicapping themselves with 5 stones plus of tudor armour. I guess it helps to be to english sometimes. Will you be sporting the Suffolk Punch horse or even arriving on one ? Could be nice for the publicity shots / media angle? Best of British mate

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MVBlue added 17:49 - Apr 23 Holu Moly. Its gonna be a hot day, go man
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FenboyBlue added 18:01 - Apr 23 Cripes I hope he doesn't get any chafing of flesh rubbing on armour for 26 miles. Best keep a tub of germolene handy.
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