UK envoy joins in ‘Diplomarathon’ spanning globe in 24 hours in support of NHS, UNICEF

AMMAN — British diplomats have completed a “unique” 24-hour global marathon relay that will help the UK’s NHS and charities across the globe, according to a British embassy statement shared with The Jordan Times.

On Saturday, diplomats and their families from 155 British embassies, high commissions and consulates — from Vancouver in the west to Samoa in the east; from Wellington in the south to Reykjavik in the north — took part to raise money for NHS Charities Together and UNICEF, according to the statement.

British Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden joined in alongside the British ambassadors to Jakarta, Moscow, Riyadh, Tel Aviv and Nairobi, as well as the UK Foreign Office’s most senior diplomat, Permanent Under-Secretary Simon McDonald, who joined the effort at his home in Hampshire.

“My team and I are delighted to be amongst those taking part in this fantastic initiative. As a keen runner myself and with many avid runners in my team, our challenge was sticking to 26 miles,” Oakden was quoted in the statement as saying. 

“We ended up doing twice that — 56 miles between us all — individuals running in their front rooms, parents running with their children and couples taking the opportunity to encourage each other along. This initiative allowed us to show our support for the amazing frontline workers keeping us safe, both in the UK and here in Jordan,” he added.

Runners at each post ran at least a mile before video-conferencing with the next mission to pass the virtual baton on — sending it through the 24 time-zones, according to the statement.

The “Diplomarathon'' was inspired by the “soaring use of video conferencing” by diplomats forced to work from home as they contribute to the largest repatriation exercise in UK Foreign Office history, the statement concluded.