Cian and Jordan Adams might look like typical young men taking part in a running challenge but, in fact, they are rather exceptional. 

The pair, known as the FTD brothers, have just completed 33 marathons in 33 days. 

The first was the London Marathon, which Jordan ran with a 25kg fridge on his back, while the rest were around our 32 counties.

Running back-to-back marathons across such an extended period is a feat of extreme endurance but the motivation behind their odyssey is deeply personal – and urgent.

Both 25-year-old Cian and 31-year-old Jordan carry the MAPT gene mutation responsible for frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Their mother Geraldine was diagnosed with early-onset FTD in 2010, and died six years later, aged only 52.

Losing their beautiful, vivacious mother to such a devastating disease as children was cruel enough, but then learning that they could meet the same fate was almost overwhelming.

Their older sister Kennedy tested for the gene mutation first. Luckily, she wasn’t a carrier of the MAPT gene, as she had inherited a normal copy from their father Glenn. 

This prompted Jordan to be tested in 2018, but his result revealed he carried the faulty copy and would develop the same FTD as his mother. When Cian was tested, he too had the mutation.

Both initially struggled with that diagnosis but then resolved to turn their ‘pain into power’ by transforming their results into the motivation to campaign and fundraise for dementia research and a cure.

Jordan is engaged in a literal run against time. He has run the London Marathon twice, done seven marathons in seven days in their hometown of Redditch, and run from John O’Groats in Scotland to Land’s End in Cornwall hoping to save himself and his younger brother from the disease.

Their Irish challenge is their most ambitious yet and has vividly captured the national imagination. 

Crowds have cheered the brothers on countrywide, and they have been overwhelmed with the support. 

When we talk, they have just completed their 31st marathon in a temperature of 27 degrees. Cian admits that ‘the heat is kind of the last challenge’ as they approach the final stages.

When Jordan joins in, he admits he has ‘been better’ and is ‘just exhausted from the sun’.

‘We tried to enjoy the whole thing as much as we can,’ he adds. ‘It’s been an incredible experience but yeah, looking forward to finishing now.’

So, how did they get the idea of a nationwide series of marathons across the 32 counties? 

Cian is quick to quip that it was all Jordan’s idea. Jordan jumps in: ‘When we were invited on The Tommy Tiernan Show last January, we had a really good response in terms of that interview with the Irish public.

Obviously the fact that sadly our Irish connections have been severed by dementia, we wanted to come back here and re-ignite that connection, through an enormous challenge, having done them for so many years back home.

‘So the idea was to come over and run a marathon essentially in every single county across the country and it’s been one hell of a journey – from the planning stages all the way up to making it a reality, and then obviously actually doing the running itself.’

Cian interjects: ‘Our followers and our family are used to us doing stupid stuff. But for anyone obviously not familiar with our story or what we have done in the past, it’s a bit mad.

‘We never set out for it to be like this. It was firmly rooted in dementia advocacy and fundraising and awareness, and that’s how we designed it, that’s how we planned it, that’s how we tended to deliver it. 

'But we quite quickly realised with the momentum going in each county that it’s kind of become more than that.

‘Kids were coming out of schools, people were making signs, the comments that you see on our Instagram post – it’s kind of become this inspirational thing for young ones, and for people with their mental health.

‘Now it’s opened up to the whole country,’ he says proudly.

‘It’s blown us away to be honest. It’s exceeded what we ever expected in terms of how many people turn out each morning and support us at the start line.

‘The donations obviously have been crazy as well because I think the fridge, maybe the virality from the fridge in London was what took it over the world. 

'But then it’s a separate thing that people are still, many days later, coming out in random counties we’ve never visited before.

‘So Ireland like has its own momentum as well, which is great,’ Cian says.

The Irish marathons have strengthened the bond the brothers have with this country.

‘Our Mum was born in England to two Irish parents, who emigrated from Longford and Leitrim to Birmingham,’ they explain.

Their Irish relatives here have supported them on the runs too, which has been special. In total, 12 of their extended family have been lost to FTD.

Throughout the month, despite the fatigue, their focus has stayed resolutely on their aim to raise over €1 million and highlight awareness of dementia.

‘I don’t think Ireland has a registry like the UK does, in terms of a really accurate number of how many people are actually living with dementia so I think it’s very much underestimated,’ says Cian. 

‘That’s been matched by our kind of anecdotal experience in each county.’

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland estimates that more than 64,000 people are living with dementia in Ireland, with the number projected to more than double by 2045.

The brothers cite the figure of almost £4 million raised with their campaign since the start and almost £1.8 million as a family.

‘It’s kind of something we’re very grateful for,’ Cian says. ‘But I think, for example, the UK government have pledged £160 million, I think, by 2026/27 which is fantastic, and almost a sign of how much people care about dementia. We’re very proud of it.

‘But in terms of actually changing the lives of people living with dementia, it’s a drop in the ocean.’

Jordan returns to how running the roads of Ireland has reaffirmed their Irish connections.

‘My mom frequently came back to Ireland during her childhood, every summer she came out here with cousins and visited and spent a vast amount of time out here,’ he reveals.

‘Sadly we only got a few opportunities when we were younger to come out and visit family before mom got ill and then we didn’t visit any longer.

‘To come back out and feel the love of so many people ultimately who have never met us, and we met with such love, kindness and generosity, it was just way beyond anything we could have really imagined. 

'We just feel an extreme amount of gratitude to what feels like an entire nation getting behind us. We’ve been able to create memories, not just for us, but for our family to hold on to for a long, long time.’

He is, he admits, running with ‘a variety of different injuries’ but not anything particularly serious.

‘Although lots of people think I’m incredibly fit to do this, it puts a huge toll on your body, doing 33 back-to-back marathons,’ Jordan says. 

‘But yeah, just a lot of tiredness, fatigue. Obviously, Cian mentioned there, the added stress of the heat plays a huge part in his fatigue, and yeah, that’s really hit me the past two days – very, very difficult, just things you have to manage.’

Mentally breaking each marathon down into bite size chunks ‘and getting through it one step at a time, one day at a time’ has been a strategy.

While running at this level for over a month has taken its toll, Jordan says the pain is insignificant when viewed against their ultimate goal.

‘I’ve been doing this for eight years now, it’s something that’s become my whole life’s work,’ he says. ‘I quit my job at the end of 2024 to become a full-time dementia advocate and make it what I do for life.

‘All I wanted to do was build this legacy for myself and Cian, for our family in the future, that when FTD impacts our lives, that they have a reason to go on and have something that allows them to give back to those living with dementia and bring hope to families all across the world.

‘That’s the reason why I’m so passionate about it. Yes it is tiring talking about an emotive subject, something that has hurt us so much, and also hearing a lot of people’s own stories navigating different types of dementia, their own experiences, but you know that’s what we wanted to create,’ he says. 

‘We feel hugely privileged to be a voice for thousands of people in this country, millions of people across the world.

‘Finally I feel like we’ve woken up a bigger conversation, and hopefully now we can push for real change. Like Cian says, it’s okay, us fundraising what is an astonishing amount of money for two normal working-class lads like ourselves, £1.8 million since 2018 is incredible. 

'But it’s really people in much higher places who need to push for real change now and bring about infrastructure that makes sure people can get the treatments they need when they become available, and science gets to that point in time, where those kinds of things become a reality.

‘We want to also make sure that in terms of treatments and cures, that welfare support and services are there to support families in the time of need. Because having lived experience and speaking to other people across this country, there’s not those levels of services that are required to deal with dementia and the families that are going through it.’

Cian adds that the vast majority of caregivers are unpaid family members and that the government relies on their devotion to meet the needs of dementia sufferers. 

The brothers got to raise this issue when they visited Leinster House on Thursday after they crossed the final finish line in Merrion Square, while Irish MEP Nina Carberry has also extended an invitation to Brussels.

As ‘two Brummie lads from England’, they feel privileged to advocate for the Irish people.

‘Hopefully we can continue to advocate some more for Irish people and Irish families devastated by dementia and help them live better lives while living with dementia,’ Jordan says.

Cian adds that when they cross the finish line they expect to feel very emotional, but hope be able to savour their achievement in that ‘very special moment’.

Then it will be off for a few pints of Guinness and a very, very long sleep.

• To make a donation to the FTD brothers visit gofundme.com. Funds raised will support the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and the wider work of the FTD Brothers Foundation