Most people run the London Marathon with nothing but a pair of shoes, a number bib, and the faint hope of finishing upright. Jordan Adams did it with a 55-pound fridge strapped to his back, and a clock ticking inside his head that the rest of us can't see.
This wasn't a stunt. It was a 30-year-old man who already knew how his story likely ended and decided to spend the time he had left doing something that mattered.
Jordan and his brother Cian carry a rare genetic mutation passed down from their mother, Geraldine, which gives them a 99% chance of being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia — a progressive, early-onset disease that devastates the brain — sometime in their 40s. Geraldine was diagnosed at 47, when Jordan was just 15. She died in 2016, at the age of 52.
'We are running London Marathon in memory of our mum before we die of same condition'
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) April 25, 2026
Jordan and Cian Adams from Redditch are running the London marathon to raise awareness of frontotemporal dementia - before taking on 32 marathons in 32 days across Ireland's 32 counties - all… pic.twitter.com/IV9M66D5Zo
On April 26, Adams completed the London Marathon with the 25-kilogram fridge secured to his back, drawing stunned looks at every mile. He later told the BBC: "I am a carrier. I have a 99.9% chance of getting familial FTD.
It's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when. And I just want to do as much as I can in the time that I have to help those living with dementia, those impacted by it, so that I leave this world, hopefully in a better place when dementia does take my life."
The fridge wasn't chosen at random. Jordan said he wanted to pay homage to the people who helped him and Cian carry the weight of their diagnoses after they spiraled into depression and intrusive thoughts.
"This marathon with a fridge on my back isn't just a challenge. It's a symbol. Because that's what it feels like sometimes — like you're carrying something heavy that no one else can see. I'm doing this to make dementia visible. But more than that… to show you that whatever you're carrying, you don't have to carry it alone."
"Honestly, it felt like the whole of London was with me and I've never experienced anything like that. I probably never will again in my life," Adams recalled. Within hours of crossing the finish line, he boarded a flight to Belfast to begin the next chapter.
What an incredible human!
— Alvin Foo (@alvinfoo) April 27, 2026
Jordan Adams just ran the London marathon with a 25kg fridge strapped to his back to raise money for frontotemporal dementia.
He ran alongside his brother.
The fridge represents the invisible weight people carry that nobody else can see.
Their mum… pic.twitter.com/KODEpQEPci
By Jordan's side for the challenge is his younger brother Cian, 25, a physiotherapist who is cycling the route across all 32 counties of Ireland in 32 days. The brothers set up the FTD Brothers Foundation as a non-profit, and their GoFundMe — aimed at raising £1 million before dementia takes their lives — has already surpassed £590,000.
The why behind every mile is deeply personal. Jordan explained: "Losing my mum the way I did changed everything. Now being diagnosed myself, I had a choice and I chose to do something that shows life doesn't stop here." They're running 32 consecutive marathons across Ireland to honor the 12 Irish relatives — all from their mother's side — who also lost their lives to FTD.
If you want to be part of what the FTD Brothers are building, you can donate to their GoFundMe page — every contribution supports dementia research and families facing the same diagnosis.
