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Why I Run: Jordan Robinson

The Athens, Greece Marathon of Marathons will be his seventh such race, says J.C. Flowers & Co. managing director Jordan Robinson, who looks forward to the challenge as well as the charitable opportunity to ‘help the innocent’.

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Jordan Robinson’s distinguished career as a private equity investor relations executive has had its share of grueling journeys, but none so intense as Goofy’s Race-and-a-Half Challenge.

Jordan Robinson
The avid runner and J.C. Flowers & Co. managing director overseeing business development was once awarded the, ahem, Goofy Medal, for running a half-marathon through Florida’s Disney World complex one day and the very next day running a full marathon through the theme park. Robinson was pleased at the accomplishment, and his kids were impressed with the medal, but physically, “I was dead”, he admits.

Distance racing is something of a family tradition for the Robinsons. He has completed six marathons and several triathlons, events that Robinson’s wife and children always attend. “I only go to marathons where we go as a family,” he says. “The rule with my wife is, I’m allowed to train if they get a trip out of it.”

Not surprisingly, the athletic challenge and family adventure of the upcoming Marathon of Marathons in Athens, Greece holds great appeal for Robinson. But the charitable ambitions of the race bring a special extra dimension.  The Marathon of Marathons Trust has been set up specifically to receive and distribute the funds raised from the runners, and all proceeds will go to carefully selected children’s charities, including UNICEF. View the full list of charities here.

Robinson says he has been impressed with the work that charity organiser Campbell Lutyens put into the vetting and selection of the recipient non-profit organisations. “The charities couldn’t be more special,” says Robinson. “I applaud that there was considerable time spent on research. What we’re doing is impactful because we’re committing donations to the most efficient groups.”

“At the end of the day, helping the innocent is the most heartwarming thing you can do”, adds Robinson.

In March, Robinson completed the Los Angeles marathon, which ended in the city’s Olympic stadium. He is excited to run the Athens Marathon on the 2,500th anniversary of the legendary original run. The October 31st race also ends in an Olympic structure – the Panathinaiko Stadium – this one the site of the opening ceremonies of the first modern Olympics. “This is a race that people dream about,” says Robinson.

For more information about the Marathon of Marathons, click here.