A jockey-turned-entrepreneur and his team will embark on a gruelling 3,000km (1,864 miles) run from Beijing to Hong Kong in 60 days to raise US$1 million for people with disabilities.
Jo Lodder, a 55-year-old Hong Kong-based Briton, will depart for Beijing with a 20-strong crew on Friday, starting the journey from the Great Wall of China next Wednesday.
An entrepreneur involved in businesses ranging from overseas real estate to software development, Lodder re-evaluated his life during the Covid-19 pandemic and began running for a cause.
Lodder, who moved to Hong Kong in 2009, was the first person to complete Hong Kong’s “five trails” ultra-marathon in five days in 2023 and was among the winners of the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker race in 2024. However, the 3,000km run will be his most ambitious challenge yet.
“We’re running for those who can’t and helping people who are unable to do that,” Lodder said.
Lodder was a professional jockey in the United Kingdom until 1999, when he suffered a broken back during a race. Although he took 18 months to recover, he came to understand that not everyone was as lucky.
“What we’re trying to do is build this ripple effect, like dropping a stone in a pond – we’re helping the kids, and they’re helping themselves. What we want is for them to help others,” he said.
In the spirit of the challenge, Lodder will carry a new pair of footwear to symbolise the unparalleled courage of wheelchair users whose shoes often remain immaculate despite them travelling miles on wheels.
The donations raised will go to the Action Asia Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping people with disabilities thrive by funding their rehabilitation, job training and mentorship programmes by Paralympians, among others.
Lodder, who is the director of the foundation, highlighted a programme that would open Hong Kong’s countryside to people with disabilities, taking them on an excursion to The Peak and the Big Buddha.
The 60-day run will cover nine municipalities and provinces, averaging 60km a day.
Lodder has taken part in races in mainland China, where he was very impressed by the high quality of runners, but running an ultra-marathon on such a scale would be unprecedented for him.
“The grit is really important; it’s about doing the same thing day in and day out. I know that I can do 60k [km] in a day, but I don’t know if I can do that for 60 days,” he said. “I’ll take it day by day. I’m pretty stubborn, and I [will] put some really good effort into my body.”
He will be joined by nine students and a teacher from Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College.
The students will take turns to run between five and 10km a day while continuing their studies in a mobile classroom, in addition to helping promote the run.
Lodder said they planned to run for eight to 12 hours a day, eat in restaurants and sleep in hotels or hostels.
They also hope to engage with local communities and experience China along the way.
“We’ll take it day by day,” he said. “We’re going to enjoy ourselves as we go. It’s not a race.”
A tracking system would be set up to allow supporters to follow their progress, and anyone was welcome to join them along the journey, Lodder said, adding that many running clubs had already indicated their interest in joining at various points.
The team also plans to film documentaries along the way.
“One of the things that I’d love people to do is to do their own event, maybe run 5k [km] in Hong Kong to raise some money to help along the way,” he said. “Any help will be amazing.”
