If 2020 taught us one thing, it was how to adapt to a changing environment and find a solution so that goals could still be achieved. For all of us, this will have been true in business and in our personal lives.
It was certainly true for me and my plans to run the 2020 London Marathon.
As you may have seen previously on our article about how RedTree PR took part in London marathon. I had set myself the goal of running the 2020 London Marathon to raise money for Mencap. In order to secure my charity place, I had to raise £2,000.
As part of my fundraising efforts, I had decided to complete three ‘warm up’ events. In 2019, I completed the Manchester Half Marathon and the Keyworth Turkey Trot. I had also planned to complete the Ashby 20 (a twenty mile run around Ashby de-la-Zouch) in March 2020…but then Covid happened.
Just prior to the first national lockdown, I received the news that the Ashby 20 had been cancelled. However, as I had pledged to run 20 miles as part of my fundraising plan, I still headed out and completed 20 miles…just by myself around Nottingham.
Here’s me looking knackered at the end of it!
Over the spring, amidst the turmoil of the first national lockdown, everyone who had signed up to take part in the 2020 London Marathon received the news that the event had been moved to October, and then that it would take place ‘virtually’.
When I have told people this, many assumed that this meant it would take place online somehow and that it didn’t actually involve running 26.2 miles!
Well it did.
Everyone who wanted to take part would have to complete 26.2 miles over a 24 hour period. Runners were able to download an app which would track their distance and time and everyone who successfully completed it would receive a medal and a T-shirt. We would then also be able to run the ‘proper’ London Marathon in either 2021, 2022 or 2023.
As I had set myself the goal of completing the Marathon in 2020 I signed up to take part in the ‘Virtual’ Marathon.
I am not going to lie, the motivation for doing so was not the same as the proper event and I had not really trained as much as I would have liked…but that being said, I headed out on Sunday 4 October and completed the 26.2 mile distance in a loop around Beeston, Nottingham in just over 5 hours 30 minutes. I was supported by a small group of family (as permitted under the Covid rules at the time) who were on hand to provide me with water and jelly babies. My father in law also run 5 miles with me during the middle part of the event.
I am delighted to say that thanks to the support of all my friends, family, clients and business connections, I raised over £2,200 for Mencap. In a year when all charities have been hit hard by the pandemic, it is good to know that Mencap have received funds from all #TeamMencap runners.
This is not the end of it for me however. I have a place at the 2022 London Marathon and I am very much looking forward to completing the ‘proper’ event and crossing the finish line outside Buckingham Palace.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me in reaching my fundraising target! If anyone would like to sponsor me please visit my Just Giving page.
