'Why I'm running a marathon dressed as a dog'

"I do something for charity every other year, so you've got to increase the stupidity. When you're asking people for money, you have to do something harder than the last one."

Endurance athlete and charity fundraiser Emma Chetwynd Jarvis from Malvern, Worcestershire, plans to run the London Marathon, but not in typical athletic wear.

Instead, she and husband Ash will be running in dog suits in order to fundraise £4,000 for the Guide Dogs charity.

Mrs Jarvis has supported the charity ever since she and her husband became puppy raisers, looking after Page the puppy for 11 months before he was sent off for training by the charity in Birmingham.

Page, who was born into another volunteer household in Warwickshire, flunked school due to a habit of eating dog poo, so now lives happily with Mrs Jarvis and her family.

"It's opened our minds to the incredible work they do. We've seen the hours of training," she said.

"Before we commit to raising another puppy, we wanted to fundraise to help others experience the life-changing impact these dogs have."

Mrs Jarvis has been training for the marathon by running in the dog suit, something which has attracted a lot of attention around Malvern and elsewhere in Worcestershire.

The first time she went running in the dog suit, she said: "I got 235 car beeps. I counted because it keeps you going."

On her runs, the 46-year-old has received lots of support, from enthusiastic toddlers to cyclists trying to high-five her.

"I get such a great reception, especially from young children along the riverside in Worcester – I always try to give them a wave," she said.

"People have been so supportive, even if I can't always see or hear them properly in the suit."

Mrs Jarvis's previous charity events have included a 24-hour car pool, and running the London Marathon virtually around Malvern while carrying a 4kg sandbag.

"I can't just do a marathon," she laughed.

Mrs Jarvis and her husband will both be running the marathon in guide dog mascot suits, with Mrs Jarvis attempting to break a Guinness World Record for the fastest female marathon run by a mascot.

"I asked the charity and they said no-one had run as their mascot before," she said. "So I want to see this through."

Mrs Jarvis hopes Page can still be assessed as an ambassador dog at the charity, to help draw people in at events the charity attends.

Speaking of the importance of supporting the charity, Mrs Jarvis said: "There's an 18-month waiting list for guide dogs. The dogs have to medically be super fit and it's such a high bar for them.

"So whenever I see a guide dog, I know that's an exceptional dog. It blows my mind."

Miles Northwood, the community fundraising relationship manager for the Guide Dogs charity, said: "As a charity, we rely almost entirely on donations to keep our life-changing services for people with sight loss running.

"I'm a guide dog owner myself, so I know first-hand the amazing difference that our dogs make to people's lives.

"We wish Emma and Ash the best of luck with their challenge, and we'll be cheering them on from the sidelines."

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