A huge thank you to all this year’s Marathon runners, who spent their winter training for the iconic London event in April. Between them they raised a brilliant £8,500, which we can put to helping homeless people transform their lives.
We gave places to Charlie Dyson, Lauren Porter, Stephanie Hay, Nicola Sands and Rachel Neylon, while our very own Louisa Snow joined them with her own ballot place. Hats off to Louisa for continuing with her run despite becoming injured in the weeks leading up to the race.
Commiserations to our other runners who had to drop out through injury earlier in the year but hopefully they will take up the places we have kept for them in 2017.
The Marathon is a challenging event, not only in terms of distance on the day but also for the hours of training and fundraising. Charlie was quickly of the mark this year raising 75% of his total in one swift swoop by organising a quiz night in a Blackheath Hotel. Neat footwork Charlie!
Lauren was amazed at how quickly her work colleagues reacted to her Virgin Money Giving page to sponsor her and so grateful to get to run. She said,
“Thank you so, so much for this opportunity… I have been trying to get a spot for the last 9 years (minus 2 for having children) and have just never managed to secure a place.”
Nicola wasn’t even expecting a place, having been placed on our reserve list. When it was offered she said,
“What have I got myself into…?! …When finishing the Brighton marathon in 2012, I had no desire to do another one, unless, I told myself, it was London… As if that made a difference! So each year I’ve applied for a ballot place and I hid behind the guise of ‘leaving it to fate!’ If I got a place I’d run; if I didn’t I would survive the disappointment! However, I knocked on fate’s door a few weeks ago by expressing an interest in running for the 999 Club, which operates in the Lewisham area, where I now live. Soon enough, someone dropped out and I ate my words!”
After the event she added,
“Thank you for the opportunity! I’ve really enjoyed raising money for 999 Club and I’m still being sponsored! It’s great!”
Words that are echoed by Stephanie and probably sum it all up,
“Thank you for a wonderful opportunity. To be setting off from Greenwich and running London for such a worthy, and local charity was brilliant. Being a first timer I never thought that running a marathon would be fun – but it was! Crowds were amazing and saw friends and family along the way which was a real boost. Hope everyone had a great day. Legs are protesting a bit today so probably won’t be able to walk very well tomorrow! But it was well worth it!”
If you are interested in taking up a challenge and running for the 999 Club in the 2017 Virgin London Marathon, please contact fundraising@999club.org