Thanks to everyone for their support and donations so far. I finished the half marathon in a time of 1 hour and 50 minutes which I was delighted with. I have also written an article about the race for the University of Birmingham's student newspaper, Redbrick, which you can access at http://www.redbrickonline.co.uk/sports/birmingham-half-marathon-a-competitors-story/
Thanks to all those who sponsored me before the race. I can assure you that each donation was a massive motivation during my training, and I'm really pleased with the amount raised for Citizens Advice. To all those who haven't yet sponsored, there is still an opportunity! Below you can see the information that I had on this page in the build up to the race. It's outdated, but still relevant!
Thanks again to everyone for all your support.
Jon
I've just decided to sign up for the 2009 Birmingham half marathon which I'll be training for with my best friend and Birmingham Uni rower Luke James. I've got 50 days to train and I'll be putting in all my effort up until race day on the 11th October. I've only ever run half this distance before so it will be a huge challenge, but I'm hoping to run inside 2 hours if possible.
The charity that I am raising for - the Citizen's Advice Bureau - is one that I feel is extremely important in today's Britain. Last summer I did a few weeks work experience/training in my home city of Manchester and realised just how important the Bureau is. Their advice service (completely volunteer-run) makes people aware of their rights and offers a range of viable options to clients who want to tackle problems that range from benefit or housing issues and debt, to any broader socio-economic query. In particular what struck me was the amount of support offered to the large immigrant community that Britain enjoys today. For those who want to know more about the organization you can have a look at their website (www.citizensadvice.org.uk).
After recently spending a year studying in Santiago, Chile I feel that this is an appropriate charity to raise for - one that directly helps society in this country. My target is not massive, but I believe it is achievable given the time frame. I hope I'll be able to count on you!
Jon