All posts from the Runners category
Emma FitzGerald and the Grazia/Nike 10K
A couple of the more fabulous members of the JG team were very happy to spot a mention of JustGiver Emma FitzGerald in this week’s Grazia. Despite the fact that she hates running, Emma ran the Grazia/Nike Women’s 10K in London’s Victoria Park on the 24th October for The Quiet Cancer Appeal after a close friend of hers was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer earlier this year.
Neuroendocrine cancer has come to be known as “The Quiet Cancer”, not only because it’s rare, but also because of its apparent lack of early symptoms. Unfortunately, by the time a tumour has been diagnosed, it has already spread and is incurable.
Inspired by the way her friend has handled this terrible news, Emma decided to shrug off a lifetime’s aversion to physical activity and has already passed her fundraising target of £6,000. The money she’s raised will go to a specialist unit at the Royal Free Hospital, which researches new treatments, not only for neuroendocrine cancer, but also for more common types like breast cancer.
From all at JG Towers, congratulations Emma!
You can view Emma’s JustGiving page and donate here.
Coming up: Gosport Half Marathon - 15/11/09
Now in it’s 24th year, Gosport is a popular choice for dedicated half marathon runners as well as those looking to test their training before running a full marathon in the Spring. And more importantly, it’s a popular choice for JustGivers.
It’s a fast, flat course - so plenty of PB potential there - that takes in an airfield service road and a stretch of the seafront with views to the Isle of Wight.
Organisers have listened to comments from previous entrants and this year there will be changes to the start of the race so there’s less congestion and a faster getaway.
There’s also a fun run for kids.
Postal entries close on Wednesday 4th November, but if you’re quick, there’s still time to enter online through Runner’s World.
With so many JustGivers taking part this year, we thought it would be a good idea to feature a few on them on the Runner’s blog. So without further ado, here’s the first:
In her career as an optometrist, Jackie has come into contact with a variety of people who have severe visual conditions. That’s why she’s decided to run for the Gift of Sight appeal, which funds research into the prevention and treatment of blindness. Based at Southampton General Hospital, the Gift of Sight Eye Research Centre specialises in age-related macular degeneration - the commonest cause of blindness - as well as diseases like nystagmus and glaucoma.
You can view Jackie’s JustGiving page here.
Great South Run
Congratulations to everyone who ran the Great South Run in Southsea on Sunday!
You can find photos from the event, race results and an interview with Hugh Dennis on the event website here.
Have you got an amazing Great South Run fundraising story? Let us know about it!
Great South Run this weekend
Good luck to all the Great South Runners braving the 10 mile course through Southsea this weekend - we’re rooting for you!
Here’s just one of the 21,000 runners who’ll be out in force on Sunday - Tony Obbard is raising money for Dame Kelly Holmes’ DKH Legacy Trust, which inspires young people to find and fulfill their potential in sport and in life.
Tony also plans to run the Tunbridge Wells Half in February and the London Marathon in April so his fundraising is only just beginning. We reckon he’ll smash his £200 target easily.
You can watch a preview of the Great South Run here or follow the event live on Channel 5 from 10.25 on Sunday morning (so remember to put your clocks back on Saturday night!)
There are a few different running events on this weekend - whatever you’re doing we wish you the best of luck and look forward to hearing your post-race stories.
Cardiff Half Marathon
Last Sunday, runners from all over the world - fundraising for hundreds of charities - came to South Wales for the seventh Cardiff Half Marathon.
JustGiving’s Felicity was there to cheer the runners on and got some great photos too.
“We enjoyed the blue skies and sunshine as the runners enjoyed one of the flattest and most scenic races in the UK, on a route through the heart of the historic city centre and Cardiff Bay, taking in the Millennium Stadium, Welsh Assembly, Castle and Parks.
We loved the fab superhero outfits for SOS Africa, big smiles from ‘Peter Andre’ and friends for The Neuroblastoma Society, and it was great to hear that local boys Torchwood’s Rhys (Kai Owen) and The Automatic’s Robin Hawkins were both running this year, raising money for CLIC Sargent.”
Check out the JustGiving Flickr stream for more photos from the weekend, and please get in touch with your stories - we’d love to hear how the rest of you got on!
Marathon madness for Amber Rose Kerrison
This year Amber Rose Kerrison will be doing not just one but *two* marathons.
She ran the Edinburgh Marathon back in May and will be running the New York Marathon in November - as well as Royal Marines Commando Challenge for some ‘light relief’ between the two races.
She is running to raise funds for Help for Heroes, which supports our wounded servicemen and women from warzones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Amber says, “I am fit and healthy, with full use of both arms and legs, and just want to help those people who are no longer as fortunate as I am”.
We wish her the best of luck in New York!
Tom Medrum’s 100 miles in 24 hours
www.justgiving.com/24hrs_100miles
Tom Meldrum, a 37-year-old ex Royal Artillery Major, is making his final preparations to run the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 24 hour ultra marathon this weekend, in support of the Down’s Syndrome Association.
For the uninitiated, an ultra marathon is any race beyond the marathon distance of 26.2 miles. Tom is taking this to the extreme and attempting to run 140 miles in 24 hours. The event is this weekend at the Tooting Bec athletics track in London. To avoid boredom and to relieve the stress on the legs, runners change directions every six hours.
So how has Tom trained himself to cope with this extreme distance?
“You have to run. A lot. I have consistently run over 100 miles per week, and on occassion up to 120 miles per week. My build up has included the Thames Path Ultra, which follows the Thames tow path for 50 miles from Reading into London.
Whilst I was in the Army I tried to keep fairly fit, but the training required for this event will take me to a completely new level of fitness, stamina and endurance. There are very, very few people in the world who have run that far in one day. I want to be one of them. Most importantly, I want to do it whilst raising a lot of money for a great cause.”
Tom aims to raise £10,000 for the Down’s Syndrome Association (inspired by his nephew, George) so that more people with Down’s Syndrome and their families can live full and rewarding lives. He’s raised over £2,600 to date, but there is a still long way to go.
You can show your support by donating at www.justgiving.com/24hrs_100miles
Make your London Marathon page
Got a London Marathon place?
Make your page on JustGiving now to grab your unique URL.
Get ahead with our quick tips.
We’re here to make your fundraising more than just easy - we’ll make it really fun too. Whether you’ve got a target to reach or you’re choosing to raise money for a cause you care about, you’ll raise more on JustGiving and you’ll have a great time doing it.
Jane ran for her mum
Congratulations to Jane Core and Georgina Biddle for completing their first Great North Run in memory of Jane’s mum who died in March this year with Alzheimer’s.
“She had great help from the Alzheimer’s Scotland day centre in Kilmarnock.
With great support from friends, family and colleagues we doubled our joint fundraising target for Alzheimer’s Scotland and Alzheimer’s Society, going over £1500 now.
Alzheimer’s is often called a ‘long goodbye’ and this race is my final goodbye from me to my Mum. Thank to everyone who supported us and took the trouble to know more about this terrible condition that 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 will suffer with by the time they die.”
You can support Jane’s cause here.
How to liven up your page with a video
Would you go this far for your fundraising?
James Fletcher and his Red Arrows team would.
Putting a silly/funny/clever/arty/moving video on your JustGiving page shows people the lengths you’re prepared to go to for your cause.
It’ll encourage people to send your page on to their friends and maybe even donate a little bit extra, because you’ve put them in a good mood or made a strong impact.
Once you’ve uploaded your homemade video to YouTube, it’s easy to put it on your JustGiving page.
There are some good examples to inspire you here.
