Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. My Dad died last summer, 3 months after suffering a stroke. I'm running the London Marathon on April 13th 2008 in his memory, and to raise funds for the Stroke Association. I saw at first hand what a complex and debilitating illness a stroke is, and despite being the 3rd most common cause of death in the UK after heart disease and cancer, it only attracts a fraction of the research funding compared to those diseases.

Although I run from time to time, and despite having a runner's build, I am not a 'natural' at running, and so the 26.2 miles of the Marathon is going to be very challenging for me.  Until very recently, I hadn't run more than 5 miles for at least 10 years.

I have set a fund raising target of £2,620, (or £100 per mile), and I would really appreciate your support to make all my training in the dark and rain this winter worthwhile.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The Stroke Association will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So please sponsor me now!

Many thanks for your support.

Andy

Update 17 March: As I enter the final stages of training consisting of gruelling 20 mile  runs I am motivated to keep going by the fantastic level of support I have received - over £3,000 of sponsorship raised! I've really got to do it now!

Update 09 April: 4 days to go! Got back from skiing without breaking anything, and the various little injuries I have picked up seemed to have cleared up OK. The question everyone asks me now is "What's your target time?". The answer is 4hr 15min. You'll soon see if I'm right or not!

16 April: I've done it! Time was a little slower than planned at 4:28, but the last 5 miles were much harder than I expected. I did the first half in 2:04, but at 20 miles I knew my pace was dropping, but I'm still very happy with the result. More importantly, with the support I have had, I have raised around £4,500 for the Stroke Association. Thank you all for that.