Thanks for visiting my fundraising page. Well, I did it! The marathon started in glorious weather at Blackheath and we were all hoping the forecast of increasing cloud was right. It wasn't, it just got hotter and hotter! The first 20 miles were fantastic with amazing encouragement from the crowds; the last six or so very hard indeed but somehow, and thanks to the crowd again, I managed to keep running to the end to finish in 4:36:57. About ten minutes later the legs gave up and I spent nearly an hour with the brilliant medics trying to get rid of excruciating cramp. OK now though! I'm delighted to have run to raise funds for Help the Hospices, which supports the hospice movement across the country. I decided to run for this charity as a way of saying thanks for the wonderful support provided by the local hospice in Sidmouth when my wife Jackie's mum, Sheila Rose, died after a relatively short illness in December 2007. Thanks to their practical help and care, she was able to spend her last weeks in her own home, which meant so much to her and to my father-in-law, Ken. The hospice continued to support Ken in the weeks that followed. I'm very grateful for your donation to this brilliant charity, and the site is still open! Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It's also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Help the Hospices gets your money faster and, if you're a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation. So please sponsor me now!