The face of a man who finished last in the London Marathon has been plastered over a town billboard.
Sports brand ASICS recruited Banbury transport manager, Tom Durnin, 35, as a new campaign ambassador.
The initiative was launched by the brand in collaboration with mental health charity Mind to redefine how the world sees a ‘personal best’.
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When questioned about the new Banbury addition, Mr Durnin chuckled: “I don’t think they could have got a bigger billboard.
“People can relate more to your day-to-day person.
“In all the local communities everybody can relate to every single person.”
According to research highlighted by the sports brand and charity, 68 per cent or Brits who don’t exercise feel too embarrassed to go to the gym and 78 per cent of respondents don’t find sports adverts motivating.
Over half (55 per cent) of respondents said they were more likely to exercise if they see ‘everyday people’ represented in sports adverts.
The New Personal Best project showcases a portrait series with ‘no stats, no times and no numbers’.
Mr Durnin, whose son Freddy, now nine, was diagnosed with cancer at six years old, felt inspired to sign up for the marathon in the middle of last year before he was involved in a car accident in December.
Bleeding and a broken arm meant Mr Durnin was in hospital for a week but he was keen to not let this hamper his efforts.
“I did alright for about 10 miles and then the last 10 miles of it I was walking in agony.
“I started it and I wanted to finish it,” he said.
Mr Durnin's wife walked with him for the last six miles and he eventually finished the marathon in eight hours, 10 minutes and 58 seconds, by which time a lot of the crowd had gone home.
“Sports isn’t about getting famous,” he said.
Hayley Jarvis, head of physical activity at Mind, said: “For people who don’t exercise, taking that first step can be daunting.
“When you add the pressure of performance so often seen in sports marketing or on social media, for some it can feel impossible to get started as they don’t feel like they’re ‘good enough’."
Mr Durnin added: “I would like to pass on a special thanks to ASICS and Mind for reaching out.
“I’m not the fittest or the fastest and I’ve never been one for sports all through school.
“But when you’re going down to the gym it’s all about getting in the mindset of focussing on yourself.
“Eventually you will get better.”
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