The 2020 London Marathon is a special day for me (Gesine), as three things that define me will come together on this day:

• My love for Mary
• My love for running
• My love for horses and donkeys

Mary and I are getting married in April and one of our dreams has been to run the London Marathon together, the city in which we first met and have run uncounted miles. We even planned our wedding date around it!

At least this was the plan and than a nasty virus struck sending the world into a pandemic, London into lock down, no wedding, no run!

As the year passed from spring into Autumn, we finally managed to tie the knot on 1st October. The marathon, alas, will have to wait for another year, but at least we snuck a half marathon in on 4th October.

As it is the London Marathon, fundraising is part and parcel of it for many good causes. In search of a great charity, I came across Brooke. Brooke helps people, horses and donkeys in developing countries through education, medical help and infrastructure.

Since 1934, Brooke has been improving the lives of vulnerable working horses, donkeys and mules, and the communities that depend on them. They work in some of the most challenging areas of the world to relieve immediate suffering and create lasting change.

Training and racing will be hard. But it will be a walk in the park compared to what many working horses and donkeys have to do day in and day out.

To make life easier for them, please help me to raise funding for this amazing charity!

For more information about Brooke, visit www.thebrooke.org

Thanks for your support with my London Marathon JustGiving challenge!

My page donations will be sent direct to the charity in a fast and secure way. It's efficient, saves time and cuts costs for the charity. Let's do this!