For thousands of people across Ireland, Jordan Adams became a familiar face during an extraordinary month of running earlier this year. Alongside his brother Cian, he brought communities together, prompted an enormous response from donors and made the personal cost of dementia impossible to ignore.
Yesterday, Sunday October 11th, Jordan completed the Chicago Marathon in an impressive 3:3131, another achievement in a year when his running has meant so much to people far beyond the finish line.
Many readers will remember the FTD Brothers’ challenge: 33 marathons in 33 days, beginning with Jordan carrying a 25kg fridge through the London Marathon before running a marathon in each of Ireland’s 32 counties. It ended in Merrion Square on May 28th, with supporters gathering to celebrate a remarkable achievement.
The running caught people’s attention. The reason behind it stayed with them.
Their mother, Geraldine, died from frontotemporal dementia in 2016, aged just 52. Both brothers carry the genetic mutation associated with the disease that has devastated their family. They have spoken openly about the prospect of developing symptoms themselves and their determination to use the time they have to support others.
That honesty helped build a connection with people who ran alongside them, cheered from the roadside or followed their progress from home. Their mother’s family roots in Longford and Leitrim gave the Irish challenge a particularly personal meaning.
By the finish in Dublin, The Irish Times reported that more than £1.6 million had been raised. The campaign’s GoFundMe now displays a total exceeding £2 million, supporting the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and the FTD Brothers Foundation.
Chicago brings Jordan’s story back into view for those whose last memory of the brothers might be that emotional afternoon in Dublin.
He had announced the race as part of his ambition to run all the World Marathon Majors, embracing the opportunity to travel and meet people along the way. Both brothers were also listed on the Chicago Marathon’s official programme for a talk on Saturday, bringing their story to another running audience.
A challenge with a daily countdown gives people something tangible to follow. The ongoing work of raising money and keeping dementia in the public conversation is less easily contained in 33 updates.
But that work continues. Their Run For A Cure campaign invites people to set their own running goals and help raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK. It offers another way to turn the goodwill surrounding their story into practical support.
For anyone who donated during the Irish challenge, that generosity remains part of what the brothers achieved. Anyone who missed it, or feels able to give again, can still support their fundraising.
Support the FTD Brothers
Donations can be made through the FTD Brothers’ Run For A Cure campaign, supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK. This is a separate appeal from the Ireland GoFundMe, which currently has donations paused.
Image: @theftdbrothers
