Just 24 hours after crossing the finish line of the London Marathon carrying a 25-kilogram fridge on his back to draw global attention to a devastating inherited disease, 30-year-old Jordan Adams kicked off an even more ambitious extreme challenge: running one full marathon a day for 32 days across every one of Ireland’s 32 counties, on both sides of the Irish border, to raise money for dementia research. The effort is deeply personal for Jordan and his 25-year-old younger brother Cian, who is supporting the run by cycling most of the route alongside him—both men carry a genetic mutation that gives them a 99.9% chance of developing the same early-onset frontal temporal dementia (FTD) that killed their mother when she was just 52.
The Adams family’s battle with FTD stretches back more than a decade. In 2010, their mother Geraldine, a native Irish woman with family roots across the country, was diagnosed with the rare familial form of the disease at just 47 years old. Overnight, 15-year-old Jordan, 9-year-old Cian, their older sister, and their father stepped into the role of full-time caregivers, a responsibility they held until Geraldine’s death in 2016. Two years later, devastating genetic testing confirmed what the family had feared: Jordan carried the harmful MAPT gene mutation linked to the condition, and Cian soon received the same positive result. The brothers are expected to develop aggressive, terminal symptoms when they reach their 40s, leaving them in a race against time to accelerate research that could deliver a life-saving cure. To date, 12 members of their Irish extended family have died from the disease, including their grandmother. That history is why the pair chose Ireland for their latest challenge: to honor the relatives they have lost to FTD and raise awareness of the growing dementia crisis across the country.
Jordan’s viral London Marathon fridge stunt, which he completed hand-in-hand with Cian, was designed to cut through public indifference and shine a spotlight on FTD. Calling the experience surreal, Jordan said that sharing the challenge with his brother—who shares both his diagnosis and his mission—made the achievement feel like a tribute to their late mother. This is not the first extreme endurance campaign the so-called “FTD brothers” have organized: two years ago, they completed a multi-marathon run across the entire United Kingdom, and Jordan previously conquered seven marathons in seven days as part of an earlier fundraising drive.
As a physiotherapist, Cian has led the brothers’ six-month training plan for the Irish challenge, building strength, conditioning, and endurance to prepare Jordan’s body for 32 straight days of 42-kilometer runs. “We’ve put together a solid plan over the last six months, focusing on strength and conditioning, plyometrics, and targeted running training to get Jordan in the best shape possible,” Cian explained ahead of the run, adding that early on, Jordan’s legs have held up well to the strain. Unlike the London run, Jordan will not carry the 25kg fridge during the Irish challenge, saving his energy for the month-long daily effort. The pair launched the Irish run in County Antrim in Northern Ireland on Monday, and will finish in Dublin on May 28, with crowds of local supporters turning out at every stop to cheer them on.
The brothers’ ultimate fundraising goal is £1 million to honor their mother and fund research into treatments and a cure for dementia that could ultimately save their lives. After the viral attention from the London Marathon stunt, they are already nearly halfway to their target. Half of all proceeds from the campaign will go to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI), which supports dementia patients and families across the country.
Carol Molloy, a leader with the ASI’s local branch, highlighted the urgent need for more funding and awareness: currently, around 64,000 people in Ireland live with dementia, and roughly one in 10 receive a diagnosis of young-onset dementia before the age of 65. By 2050, that total number is projected to jump to nearly 150,000 as populations age. “What Jordan and Cian are doing is amazing, we are so grateful,” Molloy said of the brothers’ work.
Dozens of local people affected by dementia have joined the brothers for portions of the daily marathon routes, standing in solidarity with their mission. Sean McFadden, a 50-year-old runner from Letterkenny who recently lost his father to dementia, is planning to run the entire route alongside the pair. “It’s a hard disease. For me today to be able to join in with the boys, it’s quite special,” McFadden said ahead of starting his run. “We have to hold our hearts out to the two lads and hope everything goes well.”