I DID IT! My time was 4:47.23, which I am very pleased with.  Many thanks to everyone for sponsoring me and for supporting me  -it really did help me get through the painful last miles knowing that I had raised so much money for ELF in memory of my dad.

Shirley  x

For many years now I have thought that one day I would like to run the London Marathon... well, as I create this page that day is exactly eighteen weeks away and my training plan starts today!

As well as running my first (and last?) marathon as a personal challenge, I am also running in memory of my father, who died in April 2008. Although sadly his leukiaemia was not cured, the quality of his life during the months after his diagnosis was improved because of the advances that have been made in the treatment of patients with this condition. For this reason I will be one of the runners in the Flora London Marathon ELF team. So please, if you can, sponsor me now!