Latest news - Monday 18 April 2005

Wow we've made it! It was the toughest run ever and it was your support which drove me on through the last agonising hours.

Up to the fourteen mile point things were going really smoothly but the highly congested course was putting James under real pressure to safely steer us through the packed field. He stuck to the task with unbelievable focus. By 16 miles I was having to work harder and harder to maintain the pace. At 20 miles a problem started to show and I limped into a St John Ambulance station to get my now throbbing left knee looked at. The last six miles wasn't running or walking or anything I have ever known before, just surviving and keeping the road ahead as my only focus in the whole world!

We achieved the finish line in blazing sunshine and cheering crowds 4 hours 42 minutes after setting off.

In that last six hobbling miles I promised myself never to run a marathon again. This morning I have reversed that decision because it was the most incredible day and your support helped make it so. ---- Hi, I'm Hugh Huddy and my co-runner who steers my course is James Mortimer. We're running 26 miles to raise vital funds for RNIB's pioneering work and to highlight to gyms, sports centres and clubs the simple changes that can improve access to sport for disabled people and athletes. Right now access to sport in the UK is bad. Try keeping fit in a gym where even the treadmill won't start unless you can see the touch screen controls. Living Well gym at Woburn Place, London fitted RNIB tactile adhesive labels making flat panel controls accessible by touch. I've run over a hundred and fifty miles on their treadmills thanks to this virtually cost free solution which took ten minutes to fit. Accessible gyms = healthy fit people = medals at the Paralympics! Huge thank you to Neil Puttick who co-ran 75% of the training programme. Last month Neil was forced to retire due to severe respiratory illness. Great news is Neil now recovering but sorely disappointed he can't race on the day. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. If you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you. Many thanks for your support. Hugh