Our readers running the Virgin London Marathon to make a difference

Keep on running: (l-r) Sean Morrison, Kevin Hii, campaigns editor David Cohen, Jaime Gray, Tom Millns, Andrew Bluck and Ian Rogan meet up in Hyde Park

Kiran Randhawa

20 April 2012

They have covered thousands of miles between them — and all to help tackle poverty in the capital.

Now, with less than 48 hours to go until they begin the Virgin London Marathon, a team of Standard readers, running for the paper’s Dispossessed Fund, are making their final preparations.

Battling injuries from shin splints to strained muscles, the runners are determined to complete the gruelling 26-mile route alongside our campaigns editor David Cohen, and raise at least £1,000 each for London’s most vulnerable people.

Tom Millns

The 39-year-old from Teddington ran for an athletics club as a teenager and then took up long-distance running in his early 30s. This will be his fifth London Marathon and he is aiming do it in under 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Tom, who runs a digital marketing company, was clocking up 40 miles a week at the peak of his training. This week he is running a maximum of 12 miles before Sunday.

“I can’t wait, I’m getting a buzz just thinking about it,” he said.

Carol Carpenter

A mother of two from Maidenhead, she took a 10-year break from running to have her children. The 38-year-old, who ran the London Marathon once, in 2000, said she started training again 18 months ago.

Over the last month, Carol has been running an average of 30 to 40 miles a week but has been struggling with a “dodgy knee”.

The head of HR for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, said the hardest part of training has been “the hours of personal time it takes up as well as making sure you have enough to drink on a long run”.

Ian Rogan

Preparing to run his fifth marathon, the 45-year-old software engineer from Reading said his fastest time is 3hr 28min. This time round, he is hoping to beat his personal best by at least 13 minutes.

He said: “I’ve always liked running. I used to do regular 40-mile runs when I was younger, when my body could take it. I get a real buzz out of it, it’s a great release.”

Rogan has only ever run the London course once, in 2009.

He added: “Running the London Marathon was like being in a dream. It was a fantastic feeling.”

Jaime Gray

The 33-year-old store manager from Rainham, Essex, has only ever entered 5km races before, so this is a daunting challenge.

She has struggled with shin splints since starting her training and was forced to take breaks from the running and go cycling and swimming instead.

Admitting she is a bit of a “plodder”, Jaime says her main objective is to make it to the finish line.

“I’m hoping to get under five and a half hours,” she said.

“I’m not aiming to finish in record time, I just don’t want to be last.”

Andrew Bluck

He only took up running before turning 40 seven years ago.

Being overweight, Bluck was determined to get into shape but the most he could manage was walking around the block. Since then he has completed two marathons, one in 4hr 2sec.

The painter and decorator, who is married with two children, enters the Great North Run every year with his daughter Laura, a gym manager.

The 47-year-old from Scarborough, who is nursing a strained abductor, said: “I was determined to get in shape and so started walking. I then started lightly jogging around the park and before I knew it I was hooked.”

Hayley Winder

Her biggest challenge has been cutting down on takeaways ahead of the race. The 36-year-old administrator at Salford University has also taken up Thai boxing, which she says helps her training programme.

She ran the London Marathon as well as the Liverpool Marathon last year. Her longest run in the lead-up to Sunday has been 22 miles.

Hayley said: “I am feeling pretty good about the Marathon and am confident of finishing okay. My goal is to finish in under four hours.”

Kevin Hii

It is his dream to run the London Marathon in the Olympic year.

The 37-year-old, originally from Borneo, first ran a marathon at the age of 16 in Malaysia. He said: “I did it in under four hours but it was painful and decided I was never going to run that distance again until I was really prepared for it.”

The pharmacist from Gospel Oak, started his training in November, which involved running to and from work every day, a six-mile round trip and then one long run of about two hours every other weekend.

Sean Morrison

He had to halt his training programme in February after badly straining his abductor muscle. He ended up bed ridden for a week and then needed crutches to help get him around.

The 24-year-old, who is still determined to run on Sunday, took up swimming instead and has been covering four miles a week.

The trainee financial advisor from Canary Wharf said: “I’m still confident that, with rest, I’ll be able to complete the Marathon.”

Virgin has set up a not-forprofit website to help runners in the Virgin London Marathon raise money. For more details, go to virginmoneygiving.com

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