RUBERY runner Donato Esposito will be swapping Cofton Park for Central Park when he takes on the New York Marathon this Sunday, November 5.
Donato will be raising funds for the Hibbs Lupus Trust and has been inspiring 1million people to join him for a run, either virtual or real, in the run up to the event.
In 2015 Donato, the ‘reluctant guru’, launched a project to inspire people over the age of 55 to stay fit and healthy and has done a number of runs as part of his NY Marathon preparation, including the Isle of Man Half Marathon.
After finding out he qualified for the event, Donato said: “Apparently what I have achieved in only a short period is nothing short of remarkable.
“Many runners younger than me and have been running much longer, have yet to run the times I am running.”
On his JustGiving page, Donato wrote: “We’re a group of volunteers on a mission to raise awareness of lupus.
“We support people affected by lupus to make sure that no one faces lupus alone.”
Lupus is a chronic and presently incurable illness of the immune system.
Rather than just fighting viruses, bacteria and infection by producing antibodies, with lupus the body starts to attack and destroy healthy cells, tissues and organs.
Visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RunGuruRunsNYCMarathon to sponsor Donato.
