Man with type 1 diabetes to run 25 marathons in one month

A man with type 1 diabetes is bracing himself to run 25 marathons in just one month in a bid to raise awareness of the condition.
Gavin Griffiths (pictured), from Bexleyheath, is hoping to raise £10,000 by running the streets of the UK, kicking off his first 26-mile challenge in Margate on Friday 13 April.
His mammoth challenge, which will conclude in London on 13 May, forms part of the DiAthletes programmen, a global networking effort working across six continents to transform diabetes education through empowerment, which Gavin founded himself.
Speaking to the Bexley Times newspaper, the 26-year-old said: “I want to empower the next generation who have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. In the past, I have run 75 endurance challenges – I want to be able to reach out to as many as possible.”
Gavin has lived with type 1 diabetes for 18 years and has been running for a decade. He wants to show others with diabetes that it is safe to exercise, providing you take the necessary precautions.
Gavin relies on his continuous glucose monitoring device, the Dexcom G5 Mobile, to ensure his blood sugar levels stay at the right levels throughout his endurance task.
He added: “For men, the biggest challenge will be monitoring my levels whilst running. I did my first long distance run at 17, and most of my motivation came from people telling me I couldn’t do it because of my diabetes.
“I managed to run that first 29 mile run in just over three hours, and since then I’ve been like Forrest Gump.”
To donate, visit Gavin’s Just Giving page.
Picture: Bexley Times