Race Across the World star looks to raise £100,000 with Ramadan run

Emon and his nephew Jamiul Choudhury were crowned winners of BBC Two's Race Across the World that gripped the nation at the start of the first lockdown last year.

Now Emon, who lives in Saltaire, is looking to run 200k during Ramadan, which starts on the evening of Monday, April 12 and runs until Wednesday, May 12, to kick off his latest fundraising project. It is the first fundraising event he will hold between now and October 3 when he takes part in this year's London Marathon.

Emon, 37, will complete the 200k challenge by doing separate runs of between 5km and 10km each day, initially going along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath between Saltaire and Bingley.

He will be keeping to Ramadan requirements of fasting during the day and will complete each of his runs from around 6pm each day.

Emon, who confesses he has not run regularly before, is filming his training runs on his social media accounts, including on Instagram. He will also live stream each day's run during the challenge.

He wants to inspire others to take up running as a way to keep fit and to boost their mental health. He has also invited people to join him on his daily runs during his challenge.

Emon says he wants to leave a legacy by raising funds to build a school in Nepal and is working alongside Bradford-based charity Orphans in Need on the project.

He said: "It's a big challenge for me. It will both physically and mentally challenging for me.

"I will build up the length of the runs I do.

Emon and Jamiul Choudhury in Mexico City during Race Across The World. Picture: BBC

"I have been selected to participate in the London marathon this year which I have already started training for, but im not a runner at all far from it to be precise so its going to be a big struggle for me to even complete it.

"I intend to run 200k during the month, but I'll be running while I'm fasting so no food or water during daylight hours and this is the time I will be doing my daily runs.

I would love to get more people from all different backgrounds to try and fast one day or join me on my daily runs, not only to appreciate the month of Ramadan but just to appreciate staying fit and healthy

"I'll be posting my daily runs on all my social channels as I have acquired a large following from the success of Race Across The world."

Emon and Jamiul shot to fame on the BBC Two show after they travelled 15,000 miles from Mexico City to Ushuaia in Argentina, the world's most southerly city, without flights, phones, the internet or bank cards.

They defeated four other pairs and took the crown by just 20 seconds.

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