EACH year intrepid runners from across the country put on their running shoes, don their number and stretch their legs as they prepare to take on 26.2 miles of London’s streets.
The London Marathon attracts entrants from all over, and this year Cornwall’s running contingent will be taking to the capital in numbers as residents from the county do their bit to raise money for various good causes.
Among those taking on the challenge is Bude-based Morris dancer Fionagh, who is raising money for Young Lives vs Cancer after the charity supported her family following her son’s diagnosis with cancer.
She said: “Young Lives vs Cancer was there to support everyone in our family through the treatment of our son, Will, after a diagnosis of life threatening cancer, Choriocarcinoma.
“He spent three months in the Bristol Haematology and Oncology. Amongst many other things, Young Lives vs Cancer provided us a room in the CLIC House enabling us all to be there as a family to support Will through his treatment.
“I’m running the marathon to raise funds so every family who needs it will benefit from that support.”
St Austell’s Ross Camps, is also set to take on the ultimate challenge of running the London Marathon to raise money and awareness for WithYou, a national charity supporting more than 100,000 people with problems with drugs, alcohol or their mental health across England and Scotland.
Ross was helped by WithYou when he was struggling with alcohol and drugs. Now sober, he wants to give back to the charity who helped him.
Ross said: “It’s my personal experience with WithYou that has led me to run for them, because they helped me. They provided me with a recovery worker, and I went to support groups throughout the week.”
In South East Cornwall, Megan Morris will be raising money for the baby loss charity, Luna’s Fund with her entry.
She is a long-running supporter of Luna’s Fund, having previously raised £2,789. It was back in 2016 that Megan first donned a pair of running shoes to take part in the Plymouth Half-Marathon.
Down in Newquay, a retired Cornish policeman is taking on the TCS London Marathon to support his friends who are battling brain tumours.
Phil Bunt, 70, a former officer turned photographer, will tackle the iconic race on April 27 to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research, a charity close to his heart. His motivation to run the 26.2-mile distance stems from the diagnoses of two friends.