Jason Arday’s marathon and football achievements supported after his death
Jason Arday’s sporting achievements were not the credentials he needed to be a professor; however, they were still thrown into the spotlight with 250 articles written about him in the mainstream press.
STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO
AUGUST 20, 2026
Accounts shared by Jason of his own life that were widely speculated as false have now been backed up since he was found dead on Friday.
The professor faced intense media scrutiny sparked by allegations of plagiarism made by Nathan Cofnas - an academic who claimed that Black people “would disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment” - who was later fired by Cambridge’s Emmanuel College in 2024.
As plagiarism allegations against Jason appeared in mainstream news, stories shifted focus onto his sporting and charitable achievements which had no relevance to his academic work.
Now, since the 41-year-old’s death, new information supports his own personal accounts that were challenged following the 250 headlines written about the father of two.
Among the several accounts brought to the public’s attention about Jason’s life, questions were raised around a fundraising challenge set 16 years ago to complete 30 marathons in 35 days.
But now, local reports brought to light by Byline Times support Jason’s story.
In 2010, the Richmond and Twickenham Times covered the then-sports lecturer starting and finishing the long-distance runs.
On June 16, 2010, Jason, then in his mid 20s, first spoke to the news site about training for the marathons and how he would be running to raise money for Shooting Star Children’s Hospice and homeless charity Shelter.
Weeks later, the publication followed up on the story reporting that Jason had completed the first run where he was welcomed by Shooting Star staff.
The Richmond and Twickenham Times then covered the end of the marathon challenge in August 2010 where they reported that Shooting Star’s challenge events fundraiser, Karen Peffer celebrated Jason as an “amazing person” adding that she was “exceptionally proud.”
Since Jason’s death, his friend Sarah Carney told the Socialist worker that “these runs were true. He wasn’t an ordinary person. He was extraordinary.”
In numerous reports on the plagiarism allegations against Jason sparked by Nathan Cofnas, headlines sometimes hidden behind paywalls did not include that the professor had been cleared by Liverpool John Moores University.
Jason had completed his PhD thesis at the university in 2015 and a recent investigation found that citation issues were the result of "honest and reasonable error.”
The professor had faced further allegations of plagiarism which he denied.
Amid countless stories, Jason’s sporting achievements were relentlessly ridiculed with doubts cast on whether he played semi professional football.
But, according to the Middle East Eye, Jason played for two semi-professional clubs, Walton and Hersham FC and Lewisham Borough FC.
In a match report on Kentish Football from October 2018, Jason is described as being a “strong goalkeeper” in Lewisham Borough FC's first team.
Within the flood of stories that examined numerous aspects of the 41-year-old’s life before his death, his own personal account that he could not speak till he was 11-years-old also came into question.
Accounts taken from a former schoolmate who said that Jason was “always cracking jokes” became the focus of one Guardian story and its headline. But much lower in the outlet’s article were quotes from school friends of Jason who said they remembered him “not speaking.”
A number of the articles written about the professor were featured behind paywalls with many presented as opinion pieces.
Commentators working at mainstream news outlets took aim at diversity, equity and inclusion describing Jason as having an “autistic, dreadlocked backstory to open doors” while another wrote that the academic was specialising in “Black grifter chic.”
While social media was filled with racist comments directed at Jason and Black people overall, as well as labelling the professor a “fraud” and a “conman.”
Now, following Jason’s death, there have been calls for a public inquiry into the media.
Since then, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) said that it had received a “high volume” of complaints about coverage which they are reviewing.
In a statement IPSO wrote: “We take concerns about press conduct and media coverage very seriously. We are able to provide information and support to individuals and families affected by media attention.
“The Editors’ Code contains specific protections relating to privacy, harassment, and the reporting of cases involving personal grief and shock.
“We remind editors of the importance of reporting with sympathy and discretion in the aftermath of such an event.
“We expect all regulated publishers to take these obligations seriously.”