I did it! The weather was perfect and as ever the support from the crowd was exhilarating. My time may have been worse than 2004 but I enjoyed it so much that
I just wasn't fussed. I had a cold in the two weeks running up to the big day, but in the end I decided not to pull out. As it turned out I got through, and always felt I had just enough energy in reserve to rugby tackle that 94 year-old to the ground if he tried anything on. Which he didn't. At mile 24 I put on my earphones, hit "play" and left Van Halen's "Jump" on repeat. Which helped me push through "the wall".
I ran on behalf of JRS: the Jesuit Refugee Service, a registered charity that works with displaced persons in over 50 countries, including Congo and Rwanda. JRS works both directly, in refugee camps and detention centres, but also does excellent advocacy work, campaigning to ensure that refugees and Internally Displaced persons are accorded their human rights. Although they - like Christian Aid - are a faith-based organisation, they do not seek to convert those they help
I do my bit for JRS as a volunteer here in London. Once a week I visit a Detention Centre at Heathrow Airport, spending an hour or two with a particular detainee - most of the time just listening. I'm still way too new at this to have much of a perspective on the difficult question of immigration controls. But it is clear to me that nobody becomes an asylum-seeker on a whim, to 'shop around' for a 'soft-touch', for benefits, or whatever else the Mail and some other papers might suggest. Some of the people I've visited have been living and working in this country 15 years longer than I have, but are stuck in a Kafka-esque 'system' without a clue how long they will remain in detention. Yet on the spectrum of JRS work I am very much at the "easy" end - I can hardly imagine what it must be like in DR Congo, etc.
Please give what you can to help JRS' work.
Raised:
78%
Raised so far: £1,180.00
|
Well done, Jon, long after the triumph! Donation by Lawrence Klein on 26/07/09 |
£40.00 + £11.28 Gift Aid |
|
bravissimo post event! Donation by Phoebe Blackburn on 02/05/09 |
£30.00 |
|
|
Congratulations on your achievement. I wish you all the best in reaching your target for a very worthwhile cause. Donation by Julie Gammon on 29/04/09 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
|
|
good stuff! Donation by Mark Levene on 29/04/09 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
|
|
Climb those stairs Sir.... Donation by Raphael Harrington on 25/04/09 |
£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid |
|
|
Personally, I would opt for The Killers. Donation by Joan on 25/04/09 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
|
|
Run well & how about you do a detour to the detention centre in addition to vauxhall gardens? Well done for your dedication to noble causes! Donation by Helen Historyworks on 25/04/09 |
£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid |
|
|
Will you get interviewed at the end? If so, will you use the phrase 'forensic entomologist'? Run well! Donation by Alister Chapman on 24/04/09 |
£50.00 |
|
|
Have you got more turbo and tires? Not sure that missiles are allowed though. Donation by Dave Taggart on 23/04/09 |
£75.00 |
|
|
I hope Luther (Vandross, not Martin) knows what he's in for... Loads of luck! Donation by Cathy FitzGerald on 20/04/09 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
|
|
"Running With The Night" (or "The Final Countdown") may help as well ;-) Good luck! Donation by Wim on 19/04/09 |
£15.00 |
|
|
Donation by Peter on 17/04/09 |
£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid |
|
|
Don't get distracted by any cemeteries en route - good luck! Donation by Imtiaz on 15/04/09 |
£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid |
|
|
you are a crazy man - 26 miles Donation by Viccy on 13/04/09 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
|
|
Go and get him, you groover... Donation by Martinez on 07/04/09 |
£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid |
|
|
Good luck - ESSCA shirt and Van Halen will get you through! Donation by Ulrich on 05/04/09 |
£50.00 |
|
|
You'll need to improve your taste in music if you want to finish! Donation by Nicholas Kingwell on 02/04/09 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
|
|
hope it goes via Vauxhall gardens Donation by Anne Curry on 01/04/09 |
£75.00 + £21.15 Gift Aid |
|
|
Good Luck! Donation by Katie and Ian on 31/03/09 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
|
|
Better you than me - good luck! Donation by Alex on 28/03/09 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
|
|
Think of it as a sight seeing tour of London Donation by Harry and Jane Conlin on 27/03/09 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
|
|
Zooooom!!! Donation by Lucia & Lisa & Jens on 25/03/09 |
£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid |
|
|
Good luck for the race Donation by Maria on 25/03/09 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
|
|
An excellent cause - best of luck Donation by Kendrick on 25/03/09 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
|
|
Good luck from, er, your role model... Donation by Adrian on 25/03/09 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
| * Total raised online: | £1,180.00 |
|---|---|
| Offline donations: | £0.00 |
| Mobile donations: | £0.00 |
| Total Raised: | £1,180.00 |
| Gift Aid plus supplement: | £262.31 |
* Charities pay a small fee for our service.
Find out
how much it is and what we do for it.