Runner Dressed as Van Honors Brother at London Marathon

When Dan Byam Shaw runs the London Marathon this April, he'll be carrying more than just his brother's memory. He'll be wearing a homemade costume designed to look exactly like The Felix Project's distinctive green food delivery vans.

The charity was founded in 2016 after Dan's brother Felix died suddenly of meningitis at just 14 years old. Today, those bright green vans bearing Felix's signature have become symbols of hope across London, rescuing surplus food and delivering it to people in need.

Dan says he was initially struck by how people greeted the vans with "Look, Felix is here." At first, hearing his brother's name used so casually felt strange. But over the years, it's become something beautiful.

"In some ways, Felix is still here," Dan explained. The vans carry a trace of Felix's own signature from a Mother's Day card as their logo, making each delivery a living tribute to the teenager's compassion.

Now Dan is preparing to run his first marathon dressed as one of those vans, training with weighted vests to simulate the costume's bulk. He's aiming to break the current world record for fastest marathon dressed as a road vehicle, which stands at 4 hours, 21 minutes and 41 seconds.

The timing carries extra urgency. The Felix Project recently merged with FareShareUK, transforming from a London charity into a national organization serving all four UK nations. That expansion means significantly higher costs and a greater need for support.

The Ripple Effect

The numbers tell a powerful story of growth. Last year alone, The Felix Project rescued over 18,000 tonnes of surplus food from 225 suppliers and redistributed the equivalent of 44 million meals to over 1,200 community organizations and schools. Every week, they support an estimated 439,387 people across London.

The charity's recent national expansion means every £1 raised now helps deliver 2.7 meals to families struggling with food poverty. Dan hopes his van costume will raise £20,000 to support this crucial work.

He's excited about hearing spectators shout his brother's name as he runs, just as they have during past races when he wore the charity's logo on a T-shirt. "It's a really positive thing," he said, a way of keeping Felix present in the world.

Charlotte Hill, CEO of the newly merged charity, captured it perfectly: "Felix's green vans have become a symbol of hope across London." Dan's challenge turns something practical into something powerful, helping hundreds of thousands of people every day while honoring one boy's legacy of compassion.