RUN FOR HEROES was born in March 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 28, 2020 they launched the #Run5Donate5Nominate5 campaign which raised over £7 million for NHS Charities Together COVID-19 Appeal. The campaign went viral on Instagram with over a million runners participating globally, including celebrities such as Sir Mo Farah, Ellie Goulding, Princess Eugenie, Jimmy Carr, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Nick Grimshaw, Nicola Sturgeon and DJ Chris Moyles. The campaign was also referred to as the 5k challenge.