Hi and thanks for visiting our page.

We're running the 2018 London Marathon to raise money for Hospiscare - our Charity of the Year at work (Trowers & Hamlins). As well as the small matter of running 26.2 miles, we're hoping to raise a lot of money for a great cause!

You can find out more about why each of us is running below.

Thanks for your support!
Connie, Lee and Tom

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After completing my first half marathon in October, which I did in order to raise funds for Hospiscare, I decided to ask Hospiscare if I could run the London Marathon for them...and they said yes!

This is my first marathon, and I am part terrified part stupidly excited. I am hoping the fact that I am being INSANE and attempting to run 26.2 miles will be enough for you to sponsor me some serious cash to raise funds for a fab local charity.

Thank you so much for your support, and I'll keep you updated on my progress in training.

Bring it on!
Connie

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I ran a marathon in 2011 and swore I would never do it again. It was really hard!

6 years later my friend suggested we enter the general ballot for the 2018 London Marathon. It would be a great challenge he said. We could help each other train he said. It could even be fun he said.

I knew I was unlikely to get a place through the ballot (only about 1 in 8 did this year) and I didn’t actually think I’d have to run. So I humoured him and put my name down. I committed to donating my entry fee to charity either way. Good deed done for the day. I didn’t give it another thought for months until I received an email confirming that my application had been unsuccessful. Phew!

I was actually feeling pretty pleased with myself. And then disaster struck. Lee had got in. I began to feel guilty. I mumbled something about trying to get a charity place and told him I’d look into it. So I did.

Hospiscare are our charity of the year at work but until I did some research for a marathon spot I had no idea about the full extent of the great work they do providing care for adults suffering with a terminal illness. You can find more information about the great work they do at the bottom of this page. 

I am grateful that Hospiscare offered me a chance to run and raise money for them. Connie and I met with their fundraising team just before Christmas and had a tour of the fantastic facility at Searle House. It costs £6.4m a year for Hospiscare to do what they do. I was surprised to hear they need to raise 80% of this through fundraising events, community and business support, retail, grants and gifts in wills.

Fundraising is absolutely vital to the organisation and raising money for Hospiscare is a great source of motivation for my training. I’m really looking forward to the challenges of training for the marathon and hitting our fundraising target.

And so here we are. It’s the first week of January (a dry one for me). I’ve bought running shoes, blister plasters and vaseline. I’ve done a few short runs but training started properly today with a cold and windy 8-mile run along the seafront.

I know what I’m letting myself in for (unlike Lee and Connie!) and I know it’s going to be tough. I’m 3 stone heavier than when I ran my last marathon. To put that into context, that is apparently (according to Google) like 2011 me running a marathon whilst carrying my 9 month old daughter (x2), a small dog, a guinea pig and some other stuff. Time to lose the Dad bod!

There are loads of ways that you can help along the way:

•    Come running with us!
•    Support one of our fundraising events (more info to follow on those).
•    Make a donation to our fundraising page. All donations no matter how big or small are greatly received. They will make a real difference to Hospiscare and will give us a boost with our training.

We’ll keep this page updated between now and the big day.

Wish us luck!
Tom