Raised: 116%
Target: £1,000.00
Raised so far: £1,164.20
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My story

 

Hi everyone.

I've been lucky enough to get a place for the Flora London Marathon 2009 through ballot, but have decided its a great opportunity to try and raise money at the same time.

My mother is a member of 'kids for kids'. This is a charity which gives desperately needed help to 3 1/2 million villagers of North Darfur, Sudan, who the International community have not reached. You can find more details at: http://www.kidsforkids.org.uk/. If you're on facebook, you can always access my group i've set up on there which i'm going to be updating over the course of the next couple of months.

Any donation would be great for the charity and to spur me on in running my first London Marathon. Any amount of money will help however small, but an example of costs are:
1 goat - £21,
1 plough - £15,
20 tree seedlings - £25,
a donkey - £50

I intend to try and get around the course without hitting the brick wall, which people say is around the 18 or 19 mile mark. I'll keep you posted on how my training goes throughout the course of the next 12 weeks.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Kids for Kids gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!  Donations can be received up to the 26th of July 2009. Thanks a lot!

.....and if you get me to the £1000 target i think i should really find some kind of nanny goat outfit to run in don't you!?!?!

Here is some news on the races i have taken part in recently!

      Ran the Ashford 10k a couple of weekends back now and completed it in a time of 42:23. Finished the Dover Half Marathon in a time of 1:41:57, but very hilly. Maybe if a get a flatter race i can do it in and around the mid 1:30s.
      I took part in the Deal 5 miler and the time was 34.15. I came 19th out of 120 runners. Ran the Thanet 20 mile race, and found it pretty hard going. Managed to finish it in under 3 hours which was a relief. I think my time was 2.51.40. Completed the Paddock Wood Half Marathon in 1.42.33, which wasn't too bad considering I was nursing a saw knee. I also took part in the Folkestone 10 mile Good Friday race. Completed it in 1:15:24 which wasn't too fast, but a pretty good work out. Winding down now to the lead up to the marathon. Went for a 6 mile run on Monday though.

     Woke up Sunday morning at 4.45am after only getting about 5 hours sleep. Didn't get to sleep till about midnight, as I could hear boy racers outside my window tearing up the strip of road outside the house. We caught the coach from Deal and made our way up to the start. Atmosphere was amazing when we went through to the blue zone drop off point. There was not a cloud to be seen which was slightly alarming as I was expecting it to be overcast with light showers.

     The start for me was the most atmospheric part of the race, with the 35,000 or so people lined up on the start and the marathon theme tune in the background. I was in zone 5, but managed to get a head start and made my way through a zone ot two when the crowd surged forward. The race started and it was shoulder to shoulder racing for the first couple of miles. To my surprise I saw Peter Andre, making his way back through the crowd trying to find Katie Price. He past straight past me, and I gave him a tap on the shoulder and wished him good luck for the race.

     As the miles ticked by I got myself into a rhythm, and maintained 8.30, 8.40 minute miles which was hard as you had to weave in and out of thousands of people. Passed many cool and amazing looking costumes. Passed the bride and groom, This yellow cartoon sprite figure, and the mascots for the London Marathon, a training shoe from adidas, a lucozade bottle, a bottle of London pride from Fullers, Holiday Inn's Wee Willy Winkie and an F1 Racing driver from Renault and a bottle of Vittel. From mile 17 I started feeling the strain of it and cramp started to set in. I tried shaking it off, but this remained all the way to mile 24. I must have stopped about 15 times along the route. I was glad to see the houses of Parliament, and put on a final sprint finish for the last 200 metres.

    My finishing time was 4.08.49 and my splits were 5k- 28.38, 10k - 55.40, 15k- 1.22.51, 20k - 1.50.07, halfway - 1.56.08, 25k - 2.17.57, 30k - 2.49.00, 35k - 3.21.18 & 40k - 3.56.26. I had aimed to do under 4 hours, but the conditions were quite difficult so wasn't too dissapointed overall.

    I have applied for the first Virgin London Marathon, so watch this space.

well done Alan. Cool running!!!! Donation by Big bad Ron 09/07/09  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

Well done Alan. Here are some more donations that were given to me to add to your total! Donation by Sylvia Ezen 18/06/09  

£110.00 + £31.03 Gift Aid

thanks everyone for sponsoring me! Donation by Cook Fabrications ltd 18/06/09  

£90.00 + £25.38 Gift Aid

Thank you very much for the Support - see you all on the coach next year!! Donation by dover road runners 18/06/09  

£60.00 + £16.92 Gift Aid

Wishing you all the best - from your neighbours on The Strand. Donation by Rosie & Laura 26/04/09  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Run Turk Run! Donation by Jordan & Emma 24/04/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Bring on the goat costume! Donation by Sophie Meeson 23/04/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Looooooooooon! Why not try the 100 punches a minute marathon challenge? Good luck Donation by Tim, Sherrie & Richard 'Jabba' Clover 21/04/09  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Good luck and fingers crossed for a sunny day. We shall be supporting you from our sofa.......from a very lazy member of the K4K Surrey Committee Donation by Jane and Stephen 18/04/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck - remember, no prizes for second place, although obviously you can keep my donation Donation by Phil Hauxwell 10/04/09  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

good luck alan, you loon! Donation by The Buche's 08/04/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck Alan, lots of love x Donation by joolie 02/04/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

We want to see a crazed goat running through brick walls at 20 miles Donation by Mark & Alex 17/03/09  

£21.00 + £5.92 Gift Aid

Another Bigfoot! Donation by Tony Handy 15/03/09  

£21.00 + £5.92 Gift Aid

Good luck Donation by Westward Ho 13/03/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

A big thankyou from me and from Kids for kids! Donation by Sylvia Ezen 09/03/09  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

3 Donkeys! One for each restaurant. Donation by Little Square 06/03/09  

£150.00

A goat ! Donation by yasemin 06/03/09  

£21.00 + £5.92 Gift Aid

Goats R Us....good luck, Alan. Donation by Touran 27/02/09  

£26.00 + £7.33 Gift Aid

bol şanslar Donation by kerem 25/02/09  

£50.00

Hope all the seeds take. Donation by Harold & Jill 23/02/09  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Best wishes Donation by Marie Hedger 23/02/09  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

bonus donation considered if you beat 3.5 hrs :) ! Donation by Chris & Nikki 17/02/09  

£26.20 + £7.39 Gift Aid

best of luck Donation by jonny o 16/02/09  

£21.00 + £5.92 Gift Aid

Good luck Al xxxx Donation by Suzie Ural 15/02/09  

£21.00 + £5.92 Gift Aid

Hope you succeed ! Gillian x Donation by The Dandelion Trust 15/02/09  

£30.00

Another goat......2nd of many I suspect. Best wishes to you Alan. Donation by Dr V Hill 14/02/09  

£21.00 + £5.92 Gift Aid

Great! I wish you a lot of courage and energy (it's all in the mind!) Donation by Anna Craven 14/02/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Here's enough for a goat! Well done Alan, hope training goes well, see you on the day at the finish line! Donation by Angela Francke 13/02/09  

£21.00 + £5.92 Gift Aid
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* Total raised online: £1,014.20
  Offline donations: £150.00
  Gift Aid plus supplement: £221.18

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