TORONTO -- Gareth Allen set a goal for himself in the fall of 2019 to run a dozen ultramarathon events, many of them in support of charities, throughout 2020.

But with his hometown of Southampton, England, and much of the entire world in the midst of struggling to bring an end to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the long-distance runner has had to change up his plans a bit.

Allen decided to improvise by setting up a mini track in the backyard of his home near England's south coast.

In order to run a full 42.2 kilometres, Allen ended up having to do 1,066 laps in the small grassy area behind his home.

To switch things up during the race, Allen said he changed directions every 100 laps.

Allen had all the fixings of a regular marathon, including a water station and a finisher medal.

Allen even broke though a toilet paper finish line at the end.

He livestreamed the entire “Garden Marathon” on Facebook, where the six-and-a-half-hour video has racked up more than 357,000 views since it was posted on March 28.

Viewers sent Allen plenty of positive feedback and applauded Allen for his creativity and determination during a challenging period of physical distancing.

 

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