Great Bristol Run 2024: Local pub landlord will return as "Beer Jesus"

After his fitness deteriorated during the pandemic, Bristol pub landlord Ben Cheshire decided to turn things around with a series of challenges in 2023, including running the Great Bristol Run 10k dressed as "Beer Jesus."

This year, the landlord of The Coronation Pub in Southville will be taking part in the half-marathon.

"I'm going to wear a costume as well like I did last year," says Ben. "I'm going to run in a bed sheet dressed as Beer Jesus because I want everyone to have a bit of a laugh, be a bit funny, like it was last time. 

"I might wear a beer sash, where I have [non-alcoholic] beer cans in there. Or, possibly, run with a giant inflatable cross.

"I used to be called Jesus as an insult growing up as a kid because I had long hair and started growing a bit early, so it's sort of a bit of a backatcha to them."

Ben will once again be raising money for Parkinson's UK as a homage to his dad even though he says he wasn't into fitness at all.

"He used to drink loads but he was dead proud I run a pub. And, yeah, it's quite important to me. I saw him slowly decline over a ten-year period. He was quite an active man. So yeah, I want to run for it again."

To prepare for the half-marathon, Ben has been training at least once a week. He has been trail-running around Leigh Woods and Ashton Court and recently got into rack-running too. 

"I find running again once a week, especially in the woods, really good for my mental health in terms of the meditative experience I do. 

"My physical health is probably the fittest I've been because I sort of let myself go quite a bit during the pandemic. Training for it has been really fun and there have been no injuries, thank God.

"Once this event's over I'm going to keep it up because it's good for me, it's good for my mental health. Gets me away from the pub as well. I'm stressed from running a pub, especially at the moment as well, with the cost of living crisis, it's been a bit of a nightmare."

Last year, Ben raised £1,100 for Parkinson's UK. The link to this year's fundraiser can be found here.

Feel inspired to take part in the Great Bristol Run on May 19? Entries are open here.