In April 2026 i will run the London Marathon for the third time in aid of the Royal Marines Charity. The Royal Marines Charity is a charity for Serving and retired Royal Marines and their dependants. Its mission is threefold:

Recovery Pathway - helping the wounded and seriously injured;

Decompression and quality of life Pathway - helping those still serving;

Through life Pathway - support after leaving the service.

Having previously lost friends and seen colleagues seriously injured, I know the good work that the Charity does in supporting them and their families.

Previously I have run this event with a bergen weighting 45lbs in 2007, and on military skis pulling a 20ft ski pulk in 2008. On these occasions I was able to raise a substantial amount of money for this good cause which helped those in need. I seek your support once more please. In 2026 I will once again run the marathon with some form of ‘handbrake’ to slow me down. I will welcome suggestions for what this should be. Suggestions thus far have included but are not limited to running in full no.1s ceremonial uniform, running the race backwards looking over my shoulder, or a Royal Marine coloured mankini …! I will randomly choose a suggested way of running the event from the comments that come in through any donations.

If you can, please can I ask you to sponsor me for the race and leave a comment on the just giving page as to how you think I should attempt it. Thank you and wish me luck! Safeguard, not doing it on skis again, that was gopping!

Thanks,

Major James Poole RM

44 years old, hanging out with the body like a ‘D’ shaped pasty!