* Due to health problems I have switched the event from Barcelona Marathon to the Liverpool Marathon on the 14th October 2012, all other details remain the same*
My name is Robert Sefton and I’m a Youth Support Co-ordinator for the Teenage Cancer Trust, based in Alder Hey Hospital. I am running the Barcelona Marathon on the 25 March 2012 for the North West region of the Teenage Cancer Trust, covering our units in Alder Hey Hospital, Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology, and The Christie Hospital in Manchester.
I have only been in post a short time but can already see the huge difference having separate units for Teenage cancer patients makes. Recognising that the young people with cancer still have the same issues that all teenagers have, and that these years can be a stressful enough period as it is without having to cope with their illness, is very important, and the work that is already being done is amazing.
I have had a place on the Barcelona Marathon for a couple of months and in that time I have been on the lookout for a charity I can run for. I decided after seeing first hand the difference that the Teenage Cancer Trust make that it would be an honour to run for them.
Throughout the years I have been an occasional runner, mostly running as a hobby and taking part in one 10k race. I’m not a particularly good runner, I just enjoy it. I have always aimed to run a Marathon, with New York beckoning me at one stage, only for my training to constantly be interrupted by the dreaded shin splints. Since then I had lost over 3 stone in weight and find that training, although still being hard, doesn’t cause me the injuries it used to. I feel that now is the perfect time for me to achieve my dream of running a marathon, and I cant wait to wear the TCT vest (very colourful I’m told!!) and raise some money!
I don’t have a target time, as stated earlier I just want to finish the race without stopping at any point. Although under 6 hours would spare me an embarrasment and be nice for a complete novice like me!!
