It was the hottest London Marathon on record but that didn’t hold back 32 runners who battled through the heat and their achy muscles to complete the 26.2 mile course in aid of Saint Francis Hospice.
Luke Harman, 30, from Brentwood, described running the marathon as “one of the worst and one of the best days” of his life.
“The heat hit me hard earlier than I expected it to and I wasn’t sure I’d get through it, but the crowds and the realisation of why I was doing it and all the support from family and friends on the day and from afar got me through in the end,” said Luke, who was running in memory of his godmother Frances Garrett who was cared for by the hospice in 2000.
“The feeling at the end was indescribable and something that will stay with me forever.
“I always knew that if I ever did the marathon it would be for Saint Francis Hospice and I was so proud to wear my orange vest on the day.
“To raise over £5,000 for such an amazing cause and one which means a lot to my family and I is overwhelming and makes it all worthwhile.”
James Sapwell, 27, from Brentwood, completed his second London Marathon but this time he upped the challenge by dressing as a lion – a special tribute to the hospice’s mascot Frankie!
Lee Rhodes, 34, from Brentwood, completed his fourth London Marathon – his third for Saint Francis Hospice.
“I can honestly say it was the hardest marathon I have taken part in to date because of the weather conditions and I was very relieved and delighted to finish it,” said Lee.
“It was really good to see so many people there at mile 23 and it certainly got me through the last few miles.”
Sarah Hockley, 21, from Brentwood, who was inspired to sign up after volunteering at the charity, said, “Being a part of team SFH this year was one of the best experiences of my life, made all the better by the amazing morale between all the hospice runners.
“Knowing how much money I’d raised for such a worthwhile cause really did keep me going, along with the awesome cheer point of course!
“Thank you so much for having me as part of the team, I’m so proud to have run for you.”
Chris Franklin, Events Organiser at the hospice, said, “All our marathon runners are heroes!
“It takes so much dedication and commitment to prepare for a marathon and it takes every bit of determination to complete it on the day.
“A massive thank you goes out to all our runners who have raised thousands of pounds to help fund our specialist care services.
“And a special thank you to everyone who joined us at Mile 23 to cheer on our superstar runners.”
