Thanks for visiting my London Marathon Mary Hare Fundraising Page.

Update: 12th May 2009

We've done it!

Together we have raised £3,500 for Mary Hare and a total of over £5,000 (with the NDCS getting £1,552)

I want to express my heart felt thanks to all my family, friends, neighbours, colleagues and the businesses of Newbury for making this possible.

I'd particularly like to thank my brothers and sisters living in Ireland, France and New York (Christeen, Carol, Marie and Peter) for supporting and encouraging me from a far.

I took two weeks off from training after the Marathon.  Now the memory of the pain has faded, I'm back running and... I've applied for a place in next year's race.

Who knows, you may yet get to see me run in the Busy Bee costume!

All the best

Gez aka Gerard aka "londonmarathonboy" aka "Sir" aka "Mr N."

(aka "BusyBeeBoy"?)


Update: 27th April 2009

I'm now so close to raising £3,500 for Mary Hare and a grand total of £5,000 (including the money already raised for the NDCS) that I do not want it to end.

Please keep giving generously - it is not too late for a donation - no matter how big or small.

Well.....the news is that....

I did it!

3 hours, 35 minutes and 8 secs

and I'm still in one piece.

The day was fantastic, my support superb and the result BRILLIANT.

Update: 30th March 2009

I completed the 2009 Reading Half Marathon in 1hr 32min 49sec.
It seems all the training is paying off!

A total of 82 squares on the back of my running shirt have been sponsored by 42 companies, raising a total of £2,132 - WOW!

The shirt itself has been generously donated by Wilds Sports of Newbury and the 42 logos are being printed on to it (free of charge) by Snappy Snaps of Newbury.

Newbury has really proved itself to be...

                        A Very Generous Town.

(To see the shirt, click HERE.)


Call me mad but...

I'm running the London Marathon on 26th April 2009, this despite the fresh memories of the pain I felt completing the Nottingham Robin Hood Marathon in September 2008.

Why, you ask, am I putting myself through the pain again?
 
Well, I really enjoyed my time teaching at Mary Hare School - a school for deaf children. I want to give something back to the school and raising much needed money for the, Newbury-based, Mary Hare Charitable Foundation is the best way of achieving this.

I have already raised nearly £1,500 for the NDCS, the national charity supporting deaf children and their families.

Now I want to raise another £3,000 for this local, Newbury-based charity.

To read about the history of Mary Hare, visit their website here.

As well as raising money for two excellent charities,  I am hoping to break the three and a half hour barrier for the marathon. As I'll be 47 years old, it will not be easy!
(I needed 3 hours 48 minutes to complete the Nottingham marathon  - in some pain!)

Please sponsor me for as much as you can afford. Knowing I have such support is spurring me on to achieve something special.

With thanks

Gerard (aka Gez aka "Sir" aka "Mr N." aka londonmarathonboy)

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The Mary Hare Foundation 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.