City mural artist Paul Curtis says he’ll crawl rather than quit London Marathon after injury

Liverpool mural artist Paul Curtis has vowed to crawl around the London Marathon course rather than quit, after suffering an injury weeks before the big day.

The 47-year-old, who’s renowned for street art like the famous Liver Bird Wings in the Baltic and countless LFC tributes including the one to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in Anfield, has suffered shin splints and been unable to train for about a month.

But he says:

“It doesn’t matter if I have to crawl, hop or get around on crutches, I’ll do my best to finish the course this Sunday.”

And Paul adds: “That’s partly because I have committed to doing it and raising money for a really good cause – and partly because I’m stubborn.

“But it will take a lot to stop me!”

Keen runner Paul, who’s already completed 21 marathons, agreed to run for The Whitechapel Centre at the end of last year.

It’s a charity close to his heart having seen first-hand the work it does for people experiencing homelessness. It works 365 days of the year and last year worked with more than 4,000 people to end or prevent their homelessness.

“I live in the city, and I see the work the charity is actively doing,” says Paul. “It’s not just about providing food, but giving people opportunities, to get accommodation, to get a bank account and to get job interviews.

“It’s about helping people back into ‘normal life’ and giving them back their dignity.”

Paul has raised around £1,600 of his £3,000 target and is determined to reach his goal and run the race.

“I’m hoping there’ll be a lot of last minute donations to get to the £3,000 and I’m hoping – determined – to complete the course in spite of being injured,” he says.

“In January I started training really hard, and maybe that’s part of the problem.

“I did 350km (about 220 miles) and that’s what led to the injury.  Like a typical runner, I had pain but just carried on training, I thought I’d run it off.  But it just got worse … and worse!

“I was diagnosed with shin splints which I thought was a bone injury, but it’s actually a knotting and tearing of the thin ligament strands around your shin.

“It’s really painful.

“I can walk now but as soon as I break into a jog, it’s agony.

“I haven’t trained for a month and a lot of people have suggested I shouldn’t do the marathon – my physio is not overly enthusiastic – but it’s important to me that I go ahead.  I have committed to it and I don’t want to let people down. I don’t want to let The Whitechapel Centre down.”

Before being forced to rest, Paul undertook the Gent Marathon in Belgium and did that in 4 hours 20 minutes: “Shortly after starting that I wondered if I’d have to quit, but I carried on.

“There’s a possibility I might end up limping around London, but I’ll carry on again.

“Then the leg can heal afterwards.”

As an incentive for people to donate money, Paul is offering the chance to guess what time he’ll finish the Marathon.  Whoever is closest gets a print of one of Paul’s famous paintings, or a pencil drawing of their choosing created by the man himself.

“I would love to get to the target to raise money which I know The Whitechapel Centre will put to good use.

“I’m saving all my energy until Sunday and doing everything I can to rest the leg and massage the knotting away.

“I don’t think I’ll be the last person to cross the finishing line but as long as I finish, I’ll be happy.” 

You can support Paul Curtis here.

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