Raised: 108%
Target: £3,000.00
Raised so far: £3,241.00
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My story

 

Having performed this gut wrenching lunacy 14 years ago when a fit, athletic 24 year old I went into this year's London Marathon with my eyes wide open, and the intervening years had certainly not dulled the memory. It was, as expected, 5 hours of mental and physical hell!

Well 5 hours and 14 minutes to be exact, but I have to say that I was delighted to finish at all given that my longest run in training was 7 miles, and I think I just about racked up the 26 miles of the marathon in all my training runs added together!!!

The sight of a priest standing by the side of the road splashing the runners with holy water at the 2 mile mark near Charlton, looked unnervingly like he was administering the last rites, but I put that to the back of my mind as I surged to the half way mark at Tower Bridge. Sorry, I missed out a t,g and l, that should read struggled! At the14 mile mark I made a tactical decision, forced on me by my ageing, weeping leg muscles. I decided to drop down to a fast walk knowing that this would ensure completion, whereas continuing to run might run the risk of me breaking down all together and being shot at the side of the road somewhere in Poplar!

Even at walking pace the pain was indescribable and the mile markers took longer and longer to come into sight and pass. Throw in a sudden, torrential downpour and a swift drop in temperature, and the period between the 20 and 24 mile markers was as miserable a 45 minutes as I have ever suffered and that is saying something given the number of England football matches I have watched in my life!

Spurred on bythe fact that my wife and children were watching and waiting somewhere in the final two miles, I picked up speed and even managed a sprint finish over the last 400 metres as I turned for home up the Mall. Needless to say Melanie was chatting to her friends about Friday night's Eastenders or something else important and failed to spot me as I dashed for the line, so my moment of glory was celebrated alone. All in all I did what I set out to do. I may not have run the London Marathon but i finished it and can safely say that my 2nd marathon will be my last. Or maybe in 14 years time I will have forgotten the pain and will make the same mistake again!

Many thanks for all your very generous support. The fact that so many people had donated to much money meant failure was simply not an option - even though Racing Welfare already had your money !!!!

Simon 

Donation by David Paterson 29/05/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

fantastic. mad. Donation by Nic Coward 24/04/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Well done mate, never a doubt was there?!? Donation by KEV (KEVIN BRIDGES) 14/04/08  

£26.00 + £7.33 Gift Aid

all the best. Donation by brough scott 14/04/08  

£50.00

Sorry this is late....hope you made it!! Donation by Al 14/04/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Well played mate Donation by Bruce Millington 13/04/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Well done, i'll join you next year (or maybe the year after!) Donation by Mark Chambers 13/04/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Good Luck Simon!! Im sure you've done enough laps of the golf course to have this one firmly in the bag! xx Donation by Mum and Seb 13/04/08  

£20.00

Good luck Clarey, remember throughout that failure would be very poor PR Donation by Greg Wood 13/04/08  

£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid

With a training regime that consists of just "eating lots of pasta" I see no need for you to worry, Sounds to me like you have it all under control!? Donation by Justine Clare 12/04/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

If you had told me earlier I would have joined you - and I never lie. Donation by Kevin Foster 12/04/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Even if not fully wound up class is permanent as they say Donation by Kim and Mark 12/04/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Good luck Simon Donation by Mark Underhill 11/04/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Best of luck Simon...Enjoy the day! Donation by Massimo Monte 11/04/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

The price of a pint per mile. If you pull up short I'll be claiming the un-run furlongs in Guinness! Donation by Jamie Hart 11/04/08  

£78.00 + £22.00 Gift Aid

Hope this Simon doesn't fall six out - good luck and enjoy the day. Donation by Martin Booth 11/04/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

So does this mean you will run in the Coral SGN ? Good Luck form us all Donation by Ilona 11/04/08  

£100.00

At least this time you know what you're getting into... good luck!! Yasmin, K and Rachel Donation by Rachel Clare 11/04/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

I will top up the donation when Stevil wins on saturday night! Donation by Andrew Lobo 11/04/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Good luck Simon Donation by Mick Mariscotti 11/04/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Good luck, you're sure to beat Iain Turner! Donation by Steve Parlett 11/04/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Enjoy the run; it will be a fantastic day! Donation by matthew roberts 11/04/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

I'm told its pretty easy, just follow the blue line !! Good luck Simon Donation by Jim Darroch 11/04/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Rather you than me!!! Donation by Vanessa Farley 10/04/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck Simon (sounds like you will need it!!!) Donation by Dave Simmonds 10/04/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Feel free to call in to 'Get On' live when you're half way round! Good luck from all at ATR. Donation by Matthew Imi 10/04/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Still trying to get on the front page of The Inside Track then! Donation by Paula McEnaney 10/04/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck. Surely some bigger feet would help... Donation by Martin Kelly 10/04/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

best of luck mate, hope you get the trip!! Donation by Johnno Spence 10/04/08  

£100.00

Well done mate! Donation by Simon Lee 10/04/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid
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* Total raised online: £2,911.00
  Offline donations: £330.00
  Gift Aid plus supplement: £737.85

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