Four-year-old boy with cerebral palsy is dubbed ‘mini Captain Tom’ after running more than 100 MILES to raise £1,000 for his school

A disabled four-year-old boy ran more than 100 miles to raise money for his school, earning him the nickname ‘mini Captain Tom’.

Jacob Fallows, who has cerebral palsy, raised £1,180 by taking tours of his school grounds with other children, friends and family throughout January; which surpassed the £1,000 target.

He ran an impressive 158km (about 5km a day) with the support of his walking frame and always with a smile on his face.

Jacob and his fellow runners collectively ran a distance of 1,234 km; this is roughly equivalent to running from John O’Groats in northern Scotland to Calais in France.

Three years ago he was inspired by his father Lee, who runs a charity. Since then, the family has come together every year to support a local cause.

Lee said: ‘We enjoy raising money for good causes and that’s what really matters.

‘This also shows that our little boy may be disabled and there are things he can’t do, but there are plenty of things he can do.

‘One of them is bringing people together.’

Jacob has been branded a ‘mini Captain Tom’ for his success, which has raised £1,180 so far.

The family’s first fundraisers in 2024 and 2025 raised money for Branch House, a charity that supported Jacob throughout his life.

When the young boy turned four and started primary school in his hometown of Bow, Devon, the family were keen to raise money for school trips and equipment.

‘Jacob started mainstream primary school in September, so he is in the middle of his reception year,’ Lee said.

We contacted the school and asked if there was anything we could do. They asked us to potentially raise money for the Bow Friends School.

‘They support enrichment activities and the provision of equipment to enhance the curriculum – so school trips, equipment, extra supplementary things that make school a little more interesting and exciting.

‘I wanted to open this up to all students in primary school so they could all contribute and get involved.

‘We started on January 1st and ended on January 31st.

‘Lots of students’ families, friends and grandparents have emailed. They go for a walk on Dartmoor and do 15km, so that adds to the total distance.

Jacob and his family come together every year to support a local cause. Jacob’s father Lee said: ‘[It demonstrates] ‘Our little boy may very well be disabled and there are things he can’t do, but there are plenty of things he can do.’

‘In total, we have come a long way on January 31st.’

The family is incredibly proud of Jacob and all the students and families involved.

“When we do these fundraisers, we bring the community together and it’s really nice,” Lee said.

‘Traditional elements of the community, looking out for each other and being involved, are still very important.

‘We’ve raised over £1,100 so far, which is absolutely fantastic – but I want to raise more!’

A link to the fundraiser can be found Here.