21 April 2016

Chris Collier is a Member of Coeliac UK on behalf of his daughter and a Captain in the army’s Parachute Regiment. He will be undertaking this year’s Virgin London Marathon on Sunday in full riot gear, aiming to smash a Guinness world record in the process of raising funds and awareness for Coeliac UK.

Running a marathon in itself is hard enough, but Chris will also be running in full riot gear, which consists of a helmet, visor, combat body armour, leg and arm guards, fireproof underlayer, military boots, riot shield and baton, and weighs a staggering 18kg (44lbs). The current riot gear marathon record is 4 hours 59 minutes, a time Chris is training hard to beat despite a shoulder injury sustained earlier this year.

Chris has already raised over £600 to date and is aiming to hit £2000 by the big day. Coeliac UK is so  grateful to have his support choosing  us as his six year old daughter, Abigail, has coeliac disease.

Chris said: “It is only by supporting charities like this, that my daughter and others with coeliac disease will ever stand a chance of living a normal life. If [my running the marathon for Coeliac UK] means that just one more person thinks that it's worth getting tested as a result then that would be fantastic!”

You can see a video of Chris in action below – we’re sure you’ll join us in wishing him, and all his fellow runners, the best of luck this Sunday. He will also be appearing on BBC Look North this evening, so tune in on TV and on our social media for more pictures and video updates.

As Awareness Week approaches, we’ll be doing even more to spread the word so visit our Awareness Week page and keep an eye on social media to find out more about what’s on.