Richard Thomas
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Fundraising for Build Africa
Story
Another year, another marathon. The 2010 Virgin London Marathon will be my ninth in London and my sixteenth overall.
I have run every single one for Build Africa (ICR) and raised over £50,000 for this worthy development aid charity.
In 2009 I had the honour to run the last Flora London Marathon with my 21 year-old son, Matthew, and it was one of the proudest and most emotional moments of my life to cross the Finish Line arm-in-arm with him. Together we raised £8,500 for Build Africa. Then in May I ran my first ultra-marathon, the 56 mile Comrades Marathon between Pietermaritzburg and Durban in South Africa in under 11 hours. The last few miles in hot and humid conditions were an effort of will but what carried me through was the thought of how my hardship was temporary and insignificant in comparison with the constant grinding poverty children in rural Africa suffer.
It's that thought that keeps me coming back for more and so in 2010, as well as the London Marathon, I will be running the Comrades again. Please support me and help Build Africa to give children in Kenya and Uganda a chance in life by building schools where they can learn and businesses which can sustain them and their communities.
Thanks,
Richard