On the 15th April 2012, 3 intrepid work colleagues (Tristan, Sandeep and Hugh) will be running 26.2 miles to raise money for the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research Unit at UCLH (http://www.uclh.org/aboutus/Campaignsandcharities/LLU/Pages/Home.aspx). We are also doing this in memory of our dear friend and colleague Ian Curtis who was himself treated at UCLH. 

The Paris Marathon (http://www.parismarathon.com/index_us.html) is today one of the five biggest in the world (along with New-York, London, Berlin and Chicago), not only in terms of the field present, but also by the performances accomplished, the services and logistics put in place and the media coverage.

More than one hundred nations and 40,000 participants will be competing over the 26 miles and 385 yards of the most mythical event that athletics has to offer.  

The Bluefin team have all been training hard and are very much focused on being ready for the big day, April 15 2012, when we aim to make sure that your kind donations made in support of our efforts and in memory of Ian prove to be well placed.

Doing a marathon in April means many anti-social hours spent on training runs in the preceding months, those mornings when you can hear the rain battering against the window, when it's dark and cold. No more lazy Sunday afternoons with a glass of wine.......but we are confident the effort will pay off and it will be well worth it on the day.

So, please, please sponsor us. We truly appreciate every penny and every piece of support no matter how big or small.  

Thank you.

Hugh, Tristan and Sandeep.

Team Quotes 

Hugh (aka the Silver Fox): "Unlike Sandeep and Tristan, who are marathon virgins, this will be my 4th Marathon so you may think I'm cool about the whole thing by now. Trust me and whisper it quietly to the others but, knowing what it takes to do 26 miles is worse than not knowing what it takes! My target, based on previous experience, is simply to keep running the whole way and, if I can also beat my best time of 4:28 I will be ecstatic. Whatever happens though, you may be sure that I will celebrate in true foxy fashion by raising a glass and reminiscing on the day but also on the 2 London Marathons I trained and ran with Ian."

Sandeep:  This is my first ever marathon. Am I Intimidated? Ofcourse I am.

With 15th April less than a fortnight away, the reality of the event has all too suddenly dawned on me and I find myself looking down the barrel of a seemingly endless 26.2mi (42.2km) run. With the route not being best described as 'pancake flat', I am hoping cool temperatures, and a tail wind along with lots of energy drinks will see me through to the finish line in er...around 6ish hours. 

To my well wishers, I should say that late last year, I wasn't able to jog for more than 15-20 mins before staggering over to the side of the track to catch my breath. Signing up for the marathon seemed, at the the time, a spur of the moment silly decision and I have chided myself a few times for taking on such a massive challenge without realising what I was signing up for. However, the thought of running in Paris, the constant motivation from Hugh and the excitement of running the marathon has made me stick the course. I must say, I have made giant strides with my stamina levels over the last few months.

Am I ready for the marathon? I dont think so, atleast not yet. But I am hoping that my lighter and fitter self - yes, there have been some cool side benefits from the training-  will make the journey a lot easier and enjoyable.

Before I ramble on, let me close by saying, Ian, this ones for you.