Charities, like everyone, have been severely hit by the pandemic and are desperate for vital funds to continue the great work they do.

My aim is to raise money for two very important charities, Macmillan Cancer Support and Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.

This years run is a very personal challenge for me - this will be the first time I will have ran a marathon since recovering from a few heart attacks over the past two years.   My recovery has been a mix of ups and downs, as you don't know whether to live for the short term or take things easy in the hope of prolonging your life.

What i do know is that if it wasn't for the great care given by the heart team at Hairmyers Hospital and the continued support of my family and friends i would not be able to make this attempt at running the London Marathon.

To assist with raising money for these two great charities I will match all donations made to this Macmillan Just Giving Page by giving the same amount to the Chest Heart & Stroke Association of Scotland up to a maximum value of £2,500.00.

My daughter Holly will be on hand on the day to run with, and look after me during the event as well as my Macmillan team members Francis Gilroy and Des McEwan, not to mention the countless others who have all been training hard for this years event.

We will also be hosting our annual charity event at Number 10 Hotel on 26th November, details will be announced later, however if you are interested in joining us for a great afternoon/evening please let me know by dropping an email to chanlon@chanlon.com.

If you would also like to make a donation to my Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland page, please visit  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/christopherhanlonheart 

Thank you all for your support.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs.