2017 will be the 20th anniversary of my first London Marathon!  Back in 1997, as a fresh faced 21 year old, I lined up for my first race not knowing that it was the beginning of a two-decade long passion for marathon running.

In that time, I have participated in London in some fairly daft and wonderful ways:               

• 2007 - Dressed as St George to tie in with St Georges Day
• 2009 - As Tinkerbell, with my little sister as Peter pan
• 2010 - In pyjamas, as the very LAST person to start
• 2011- Wearing the famous rhino outfit
• 2012 - In a giant Bagpuss costume
• 2015 - Carrying an 80lb pack to break a World Record
• 2016 - Alongside my brother and sisters in memory of our Mum

So, this is a point I never thought I'd reach; my 20th year of the London Marathon.  Not many people can claim this, and so in celebration of reaching this milestone, I am going to go for one more World Record, but it's as tough as it gets: The Fastest Marathon Carrying a 100LB Pack.

Just to put 100LB's into context, that is about the same as 5 average car wheels, a baby hippo, or (if I am lucky) Kylie Minogue.  Suffice to say, this pack is heavy.  I need to beat the current record on the 23rd April which stands at 7h 47m.

I will be doing all of this in memory of my mum Sue, who passed away in 2015, and to raise money for the Family Holiday Association.  Our Mum and Dad worked hard when we were kids to allow us to have short breaks during the Summer, usually at holiday camps.  Whilst we might not have had the lavish Disney of ski holidays other lucky kids had, we were always unbelievably happy, and I know how much a short holiday can mean to struggling families.

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Thank you for taking the time to read through all of this.  Your support for my charity runs has, and always will be appreciated.

Cheers

Marc