He’s laced up his high-performance trainers. He’s got his iPad and stylus. And illustrator Dan Woodger has launched a project that combines his favourite mode of transport – running – with his vocation: drawing, drawing, drawing.
Run London/Draw London is a creative project raising money for Oxfam that ties in with the London Marathon, which Dan is preparing to run on Sunday 26 April. It works like this. When someone pledges £5 or more via Dan’s JustGiving page, he will add a drawing of them to a great big illustration he’s creating, which maps out the marathon’s route.
Donors can describe the character they want included in the image, and Dan will comply. “There’s a really lovely mix, so far,” he says. “Some are very on brand for me – fruit wearing sunglasses, that kinda thing. Others are completely out of my cultural knowledge, like Steve from Minecraft, welding the netherite sword. Another donor has asked for the entire cast of their 18-person swing band to be included, which I am very much looking forward to working through.”
Dan has started populating his map.
This random factor makes the project as enjoyable and challenging on the creative front as it will be on the physical front. It’s going to be Dan’s first marathon, and he’s been training hard. Too hard, in fact, as he has recently had two weeks out with shin splints. At least this has given him time to put some work into the mammoth job of promoting the project on social media. Then, of course, there’s managing the scale of the drawing and the sheer number of characters that might be involved.
Dan continues: “I feel like, from a technical perspective, I’ve thought this through just about as thoroughly as I can. I spent a lot of time trying to strike a balance in terms of detail. The image is large but achievable, as the characters are relatively small or simple. What keeps me up at night is engagement. The project relies on audience participation, which is a very vulnerable place to put yourself.”
He needn’t have worried too much. At the time of writing, Run London/Draw London has busted through the halfway point of its £2000 target, and even if it breaks through the overall total, Dan is going to keep adding characters to his marathon course. Plus, he’s had some celebrity backing from the running world thanks to former British Olympic runners Paula Radcliffe and Christopher Thompson.
“I’m giddy!” exclaims Dan. “I went and introduced myself to Christopher at a running event last year, and we exchanged Instagrams. Chris co-hosts a podcast with Paula called Paula’s Running Club, so I asked them both if they’d be interested in the project, and they said ‘yes’.”
As we’re about to publish this story, news is just in from Dan that when all is said and done, he plans to produce the final image as a signed art print. The first 50 donors will get one free, and it will also be available for sale for £15.
Start watching Dan’s journey here.
Throughout the project, Dan has aimed to keep participation accessible and community-spirited. Donations start at only £5 per character, and each will be given the same level of attention Dan gives to any character he draws. He’s documenting the project’s process on YouTube, so people can see the giant image gradually being stitched together.
Finally, at a time when missiles are flying across the Middle East, and people around the world feel helpless in the relentless bad news cycle, Run London/Draw London is a chance to make a difference.
“I’ve worked with Oxfam a few times over the years, and I really believe in the work they’re doing. Fighting wealth inequality, tackling the climate crisis and providing aid to some of the worst-affected areas hit by conflict. Sometimes reading the news makes you want to scream and feel helpless. This is a way I can at least do something,” says Dan.
If you want your persona drawn by Dan and added to the London map, use the link below before 26 April.
