Dear All,

 

It’s me again.  You must be getting tired of these emails by now but I promise this is the last one.

It’s all over, I finished and there’s a photo montage to prove it; a mixture of training, race and post-race photographs from my brother, mother and some other, illicit, sources.

Highlights were the fantastic carnival atmosphere, cheering spectators, glimpses of friends/family, overtaking Gordon Ramsay, not being beaten by Katie Price, sunshine and a fast first 20 miles. Lowlights were going tumbling after being tripped, having half the stones in London stuck under my right shoe by casually discarded energy gel, poor loo strategy, a slow last six miles and descending the stairs to the underground afterwards.

I ran the course in 3 hours and 34 minutes – racing to the line just ahead of the man who won the world record for the fastest marathon by a cartoon character (Banana Man). It was a little outside my previous time but something I was very pleased with as my training’s been hamstrung by, er, hamstring injuries.

I especially wanted to say a very big and heartfelt thank you to everyone who sponsored me. We’ve managed to raise £1800 already and hopefully there’s a little more to come. Enough to pay for a high quality education for a classroom full of primary school children for well over a year; I think a fantastic opportunity if you’re otherwise living in extreme poverty.

(http://www.ftcf.org.uk/Documents/News/Press/Times%20Article.pdf, http://www.newstatesman.com/middle-east/2007/04/tcf-schools-pakistan-education)

Thankyou!

 

Omar

 

__________________________________________________________________

Hello!

Just two weeks to go and two small reasons to get in touch again.

First, I wanted to email to say a big THANKYOU to everyone who has sponsored me. It makes it all seem a little more worthwhile/reasonable when you hobble (I’m typing this with frozen peas cling filmed to my ankle) in at the end of a three hour run in the rain.

Second, I’d like to remind/bully/pester/cajole the rest of you into donating. It’s a really good cause I promise and well worthwhile if you feel able.

Wish me luck...

Omar

Ps. Rotating comic videos added as incentive for friends to visit.