Burghclere man running the 2022 London Marathon for the British Hen Welfare Trust
A Burghclere man will be the official runner in the London Marathon for a charity that rehomes hens and saves them from slaughter.
Jon Joy was chosen to represent the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) at next month’s endurance run in the capital after applying back in January.
The 45-year-old scientist and his wife Stephanie currently look after a flock of 15 hens, all re-homed from the trust, and also volunteer for the BHWT out of their Berkshire branch in Barkham, near Wokingham.
Speaking about how they first heard about the trust, Mr Joy said: “We must have stumbled upon it, or seen it mentioned somewhere, and then we quickly fell in love with the idea of keeping our own hens.”
The BHWT, established in 2005, rescues and rehomes egg-laying hens after farmers want to get rid of them following their 18-month period of economic viability.
The couple first started to look after chickens in September 2020 when they adopted four of them from the trust.
Mr Joy continued: “We quickly realised that the world of keeping chickens is more than just the production of eggs.
“They have proper personalities. They’re a pet just like any other pet, and they quickly became part of the family.”
At the beginning of the year, Mr Joy saw on social media that the BHWT were looking to find someone to run for the charity in the 2022 London Marathon.
Having unsuccessfully entered the ballot to run the marathon on several occasions, he decided he would apply to support the trust, and this year he will be their official runner.
Individual giving manager at the BHWT Kylie Durose-Ford said: “We’re grateful to every single person who chooses to fundraise for us, and Jon has really shown his dedication to hen welfare with this challenge.
“Anyone whose run a marathon knows the guts and determination it takes, not just on the day, but through the hours of training you have to put in beforehand.
“Jon’s efforts are going to help save the lives of so many ex-commercial hens – we, and the hens, simply can’t thank him enough.”
The trust challenged him to raise £2,000 and he has already raised more than 75 per cent of that.
To donate to his JustGiving page, visit https://bit.ly/3xr8UNr
Mr Joy got into running in 2014, and has ran several different half-marathons, including Reading and the Great North Run. He has run one marathon before in Bournemouth in 2017.
For the London one, which he will participate in on Sunday, October 2, Mr Joy hopes to beat his personal best by half an hour, aiming to finish the 26.2 miles in 3 hours and 30 minutes.
