MY RUN IN THE LONDON MARATHON THIS YEAR WAS TOUGH GOING COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS BUT I GOT AROUND WITHOUT NEEDING A STRETCHER AT THE END AND IT WAS A GREAT FEELING TO CROSS THE FINISHING HAVING COMPLETED MY 30TH.LONDON MARATHON.  I WAS EXPECTING IT TO BE EVEN HARDER AS THE WEATHER FORECAST PREDICTED A DAY WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES, HIGH HUMIDITY AND A HIGH POLLEN COUNT, IN FACT,  HIGH EVERYTHING.  AS IT TURNED OUT, THE FORECAST WAS COMPLETELY WRONG AND THE WEATHER WAS NEARLY PERFECT, MADE EVEN BETTER BY A HEAVY SHOWER AT THE START OF THE RACE, WHICH HELPED TO CLEAR THE AIR.

A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SPONSORED ME.  WHEN THE GOING GOT TOUGH  OVER THOSE LAST FEW MILES, THE EXTRA MOTIVATION PROVIDED BY MY SPONSORS WAS A CRUCIAL MOTIVATING FACTOR.  ONCE AGAIN, MANY THANKS TO YOU ALL. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since I first donned my running shoes back in 1979, I have competed in 57 marathons across the globe, clocking up over 50,000 miles in racing and training, which is more than one and a half times around the world.  I take part in the London Marathon each year as a sponsored runner, raising much needed funds for The Mayhew's work, and will be doing so again on the 25th.April when I join 35,000 other runners as they set off across the streets of London to cover the marathon distance.

The Mayhew Animal Home & Humane Education Centre, was established in 1886, in the words of its founders,  “for the benefit of the lost and starving dogs and cats of London so that they should have a sanctuary from the cold inhumanity they are being dealt outside.”   It is a sad reflection on how little the world has progressed in some respects since the 19th.century that many of the animals who are rescued by The Mayhew today are subject to the same “cold inhumanity” as the unfortunate animals who inspired the Mayhew’s founders all those years ago in Victorian London.
 
When I cross the finishing line in front of Buckingham Palace on the 25th.April after running through 26.2 miles (42Km) of London's streets, I will undoubtedly be exhausted after my exertions but soon after I will have some food and be able to rest and recover.  No such relief exists for the animals who are abused, neglected or abandoned unless organisations like The Mayhew come to their aid. 

Please help me to support The Mayhew as it strives to alleviate the plight of suffering animals and help us to help them in their hour of need by sponsoring me in the 2010 London Marathon. 

Thank you.

James Hogan