Picture Credit: @katheepsini
Five British Tamils have completed a non-stop run from London to Paris in under 48 hours, to raise money for charitable causes across the homeland.
In a display of unity, community and resilience, 5 British Tamils completed a relay run covering over 600 km. Starting at the London Eye on the 4th of November, Vikaash Rasalingam,Mathujan Jeyapalan, Anesh Kajenthiran, Vinushan Jeyakumar, Sivakaran Aynkaramoorthy reached the Eiffel Tower on the 6th of November, covering the total distance in under 48 hours. Currently, the group have raised £34,000 which will be used to support charitable organisations across the North-East. This includes St John’s Boys Home (Batticaloa) which provides shelter and education for orphans, Hope Autism Centre (Trincomalee) which supports children with autism through care and education, Sartha Elderly Girls Home (Jaffna) helping elderly women live with dignity. In addition to this, hospitals across Jaffna, Trincomalee and Batticaloa would be supported too with essential medical aid.
Mathujan Jeyapalan, had previously held a charity run in London last year and was motivated to raise the stakes this year. In an interview in Paris, Jayapalan spoke on how he assembled the group. He was drawn to how his friends were each doing inspiring acts of service for the homeland, and wanted to bring them together for this challenge. Without hesitation, they were all on board.
In under three weeks, they had set the challenge and planned the route. Three other members were vital to the success and exposure of the group's fundraising effort. Niroshan Thayalaseelan, responsible for the logistical operations, was the brains behind the route. He planned every checkpoint for the runners, sorting out all the relevant ferry bookings and ensured that the runners took the safest route possible. Virthesh Anbalagan, a driver of the van which tailed the runners, was also responsible for the well-being of the five, making sure they were all fueled up from breakfast to lunch. Thirsika Jeyapalan in charge of social media, in many ways brought the whole Tamil community together from across oceans. She was responsible for the content editing and posting across social media platforms, which meant that those who were following the 5 could track them and engage with them in their continuous livestream.
The support of the community was global, with Tamil businesses and entrepreneurs sponsoring the challenge. This was further reiterated through the support of the French-Tamil youth organisation Em Inam, who were there to receive the runners as they reached the Eiffel Tower. Em Inam is an independent group mainly composed of young French-Tamils committed to defending the rights of the Tamil people across the homeland. It works for justice, the recognition of historical injustices and the promotion of the values of solidarity, equality and respect.
Picture Credit:@vivaldi_eu
What inspired you to do this run?
Mathujan Jeyapalan:
We wanted to come together to do something bigger than ourselves for our community back home. The idea was simple, take on something truly iconic that would put Tamils on the map while giving back to our motherland. Every one of us comes from different backgrounds and stories, but we share one purpose to show that when Tamils unite, we can do incredible things.
Vinushan Jeyakumar:
This run wasn’t really about inspiration but more about aspiration. We’re running with the hope of a better Eelam in our hearts. It’s our way of remembering where we come from, honouring our people, and pushing forward toward the future we want to build. Every step reminds us that our journey isn’t over, it’s part of something much bigger than just a run.
Vikaash Rasalingam:
One of the main reasons I took on this challenge was the opportunity to push both my body and mind. I’ve always been drawn to testing my limits through demanding fitness goals. Another major inspiration was Mathu, one of the organisers. Last year, he completed a charity run and personally travelled to the homeland to donate the money first hand. While there, he filmed the experience and created a documentary highlighting some of the struggles faced by people back home. What really stood out to me was his transparency in the documentary; he made sure that every penny raised went directly to the orphanages, schools, and hospitals. I wanted to be part of this year’s run to continue that mission, raise even greater awareness, and contribute to making a tangible difference and I’m proud to say
we achieved exactly that.
Sivakaran Aynkaramoorthy:
Our inspiration came from a shared desire to truly connect, both physically and emotionally, with a cause that means a lot to us, supporting and uplifting the Tamil community back home. Running from London to Paris was more than just a challenge, it was a symbol of
unity, and resilience, the very qualities that define our people. We wanted to test our limits and show that when we come together with a shared purpose, we can go beyond borders and make a real impact.
Anesh Kajenthiran:
With one and one mind, to raise awareness and give back to the motherland.
You have received a lot of support from the global Tamil diaspora over the last few days; how are you going to build on this?
Mathujan Jeyapalan:
The London to Paris run created awareness because of how daring it was, but it was never just about the distance. It was about showing what’s possible when purpose meets action. Off the back of it, we’ve organised a charity run in Hyde Park on the 22nd of November to get more people involved and to keep that same energy alive locally. Then we’ve got our second Cineworld screening of Motherland, a documentary that shows exactly how last year’s efforts made an impact back home. And in January, I’ll be leading the first Rising Retreat, where 20 like-minded individuals will travel to Eelam to volunteer across orphanages, hospitals, and care homes.
Vinushan Jeyakumar:
The support from our community has been absolutely incredible. It's honestly been overwhelming in the best way. Our first goal is to make sure every donation goes toward helping those who need it most, improving conditions for our people on the ground. If seeing us push our limits inspires others to give more to the cause, then we’re ready to go even further; take on bigger runs, face more challenges, and keep doing whatever it takes to make a real difference.
Vikaash Rasalingam:
The support from the global Tamil community has been truly overwhelming and deeply humbling. Our focus now is to build on this momentum by inspiring more people, especially the younger generation, to get involved, whether that’s through fitness, fundraising, or simply raising awareness. Transparency has always been at the heart of this initiative, and we’ll be travelling to the homeland to personally document every transaction and project supported by the funds raised. We want donors to see exactly where their contributions have gone and the real impact they’re creating on the ground. By doing so, we hope to strengthen trust, accountability, and unity across our global Tamil community showing that together, we can make lasting change.
Anesh Kajenthiran
Mathu is planning a trip to the motherland, to showcase where all the donations will go, this will raise awareness of how conditions are back at home. As a team we plan to do many more fundraisers, even more crazy, to inspire others to do good back home.
You have raised a substantial amount for projects across the homeland. How do you ensure that fundraising efforts like this become a sustainable way to support long-term projects in the North-East?
Mathujan Jeyapalan:
Sustainability starts with consistency. We don’t want this to be a once-a-year gesture, we want it to become a movement that continues to grow. The run from the London Eye to the Eiffel Tower was just the spark. What we’re building now is a framework that connects fundraising, awareness, and direct action. Every project we do, whether it’s a charity run, the documentary screenings, or the upcoming Rising Retreat. It all feeds back into one ecosystem that keeps giving.
Vinushan Jeyakumar:
Doing things like this helps bring in donations and, just as importantly, raises awareness for what’s happening back home. But as the saying goes, one person can’t do everything, but everyone can do something. We have to work together with organisations already doing the groundwork like the Aram Initiative and others focused on developing our homeland. Real change comes from collaboration. We need to work with each other, learn from each other, and keep pushing forward together to build something lasting.
Vikaash Rasalingam:
Sustainability comes from trust, transparency, and community. From the very beginning, the organisers have been open about where every pound goes documenting each stage and every transaction. That level of accountability has built genuine confidence among donors.
With our upcoming visit to the motherland to document the distribution of funds and showcase the real impact of these donations, we aim to further strengthen that trust. Moving forward, we want to make these endurance challenges a recurring initiative not just one off
events creating a continuous cycle of awareness, transparency, and tangible impact for long-term development back home.
