An East Lancs man is taking on a brutal physical challenge to run two marathons in the space of a week – one while still fasting for Ramadan.
Hamid Mehmood, from Blackburn, will be taking on the Manchester Marathon on Sunday, April 16, and then a week later he will be in the capital for the London Marathon on Sunday, April 23.
As well as making this a physical challenge for himself, Hamid, 30, will also be raising money for the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria earlier this year.
Running a marathon is hard enough, but an added caveat for Hamid is that the Manchester Marathon falls within Ramadan, so he will still be fasting.
The London Marathon is just outside Ramadan but only by two days, so Hamid may still be feeling the physical effects of not eating or drinking during the day.
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Hamid said: “It’s to inspire the youth and Muslim community to get out and attempt to become a better version of themselves. My wording is the infinite version of yourself. That’s our purpose in life and that’s my message for the Muslim community.
“I am doing it as a fundraiser, raising money for the victims affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
“I would encourage all of the Muslim community to use their time amazingly during this blessed month of Ramadan.”
Physical challenges like this are clearly something that do not faze Hamid – so much so that next year he plans to take it up a notch or two by climbing the tallest mountain in the world.
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He said: “In 2024 I’ve got it scheduled that in March I’ll be summitting Everest, all the way to the top. It’s of course the highest mountain in the world and one of the most dangerous ones.
“The main inspiration behind that is when you have something in your mind that feels impossible for your body and you want to push to prove to yourself that you can do something.
“When you’ve got big mountains surrounding you, it connects me to my faith. I would encourage people to explore their dreams.”
Taking on these daunting physical challenges while fasting is a massive task, but Hamid says he wants people to prove to themselves they can do it too and to inspire people to get out and explore.
He said: “Ramadan is of course a blessed month so to train or run or get into the gym can be very difficult, so it’s just about believing you can do this, taking that one step to become the best version of yourself.
“Do anything you can to try and get fit. Go out, explore and become better.”
To donate to Hamid’s fundraising efforts for the Turkey and Syria earthquake, click here.
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