Timi Merriman-Johnson, aka Mr MoneyJar, is an award-winning financial content creator, podcaster, and author. He gives advice on how people can save money and protect their finances and has been increasingly featured by national media such as Sky News and the BBC.
On 2 October, Timi will be taking a break from financial education and putting on his running shoes to run for Crisis in the London Marathon, raising money to help end homelessness for good.
We caught up with Timi to find out how he’s feeling ahead of the run.
Hi Timi, can we start by asking why you decided run for Crisis?
Timi: Growing up in London, I often saw people experiencing homelessness but felt like I didn’t know what I could do about it to help. Crisis at Christmas offered me my first opportunity to make a positive impact, and I volunteered there in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Unfortunately, I missed the last couple of years due to the pandemic, but I am glad to be helping Crisis once again and running in the marathon.
You started supporting Crisis by volunteering with us at Crisis at Christmas, can you share what it was like?
Timi: The best way I can describe Crisis at Christmas is it is like being part of a supportive, extended family. Every single volunteer there is passionate about the cause, and the whole operation is extremely well run. I have had some life changing conversations over the years there, with both volunteers and guests, and some pretty cool moments too. A highlight was when Chris Martin of Coldplay came to one of the centre’s one year and sang a karaoke duet with one of the guests!
Now you’ve moved from volunteering with us, to running the marathon. Have you ever done a marathon before?
Timi: I’ve never run one before, this London Marathon will be my first. I’ve done some organised race events before though, so at least I’ll be off to a running start.
When did you take up running?
Timi: I first started running properly in 2015 when I did a 5k race with the company I was working for at the time. I had never run a 5k before, but a group of us signed up as a challenge. I had no expectations of how well I would do at the time and was just glad to cross the finish line!
How have you been training for the marathon?
Timi: I downloaded the official training plan from the London Marathon website. It advises that you run three times per week, slowly building up your distance over time, so that is what I have been doing.
Are you nervous about the marathon?
Timi: I’m not nervous about the marathon itself. But I have been a bit nervous about getting injured or something happening in the lead up to it. So, I have been careful with the other activities I chose to do alongside marathon training. No bungee jumping until after 2 October I’m afraid!
What will you use to motivate you during the marathon?
Timi: I love all the different apps you can use to track your runs and your progress over time. Once you’ve built up a bit of a streak with a new habit, you become more motivated to stick to it.
I also think that the fact that I have told everyone, publicly, that I’m doing the marathon definitely makes this real. No turning back now!
Do you have a time you’d like to finish the marathon in?
Timi: If I can do it in 4 hours, I will be very happy. But to be honest, I just want to finish it!
What have you found hardest about training?
Timi: I use Strava to track my runs, and sometimes I can get very fixated on all the stats. How quick was my run? What was my pace? Sometimes it’s just nice to forget all that and just run for the fun of it.
Do you have any running tips?
Timi: If you want to be consistent with your runs, prep your running kit the day before and place or hang it somewhere you’ll notice it. That way, when the time for your run comes, all you’ll need to do is just grab it and go. The fewer obstacles you have in the way of your runs, the more likely you will be to do them.
Are there any similarities in how you’re approaching the marathon and how you think about giving financial advice?
Timi: Training for a marathon is a bit like paying off debt, saving or investing your money. Rarely would you start out by running an entire marathon in one go. You’d train for it, one run at a time, starting small and then building up gradually. Slow and steady wins the race.
Thanks for supporting Crisis Timi, and good luck for your run. All of us at Crisis will be cheering you all the way!
For media enquiries:
E: media@crisis.org.uk
T: 020 7426 3880
For general enquiries:
E: enquiries@crisis.org.uk
T: 0300 636 1967