Post race update:
I did it. Despite my watch stopping after
2km, warmer than expected conditions, and having to negotiate slower
runners who started in front of me, I finished (just) inside my target
time, in 49 minutes and 50 seconds after a mad sprint up Whitehall.
And as of this morning I've also reached my £500 sponsorship target,
which is brilliant, so thanks to everyone who sponsored me.
Mark
OK folks, admittedly I'm an occassional, (very) short distance runner, but for me this is still a pretty serious challenge: to complete the British 10K run around the streets of London in under 50 minutes - and at the height of summer.
The run is on Sunday 12 July, when more than 20,000 runners will take part. I am running for the Anthony Nolan Trust, not because my wife works there, but because of the crucial work it does in saving the lives of people with leukaemia. Indeed, Anthony Nolan justifiably claims to be the only charity in the UK that directly saves lives - more than 700 last year. Not only does it manage the UK's principal bone marrow donor register, it leads the world in research to improve the prospects of saving lives through transplants, it matches those with life-threatening leukaemia with bone marrow donors and it carries out the transplants.
But matches are found for only half of those needing transplants each year. That's why I'm running for Anthony Nolan, and that's why I hope you will be able to sponsor me.
Many thanks
Mark