Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Pat’s Marathon Success
This weekend our dedicated volunteer Pat completed the London marathon to raise money for STAR. The race might be finished, but it’s still possible to donate to the cause!
How did Pat’s run go?
No shortage of training
Pat has run several half marathons before but this was his first full marathon, so he didn’t skimp on the training, completing a 24-mile run just weeks before the marathon. But in the end, Pat found that nothing can quite prepare you for race day.
“Running the marathon proper was a shock to the system!” Pat told us, explaining that “the race day temperature was around 18 degrees – much warmer than the cool February and March days I’d trained in. The huge pack of people running alongside me was another big change from my solo training.”
Perseverance
The hot weather and crowded conditions might have been a challenge for Pat, but he didn’t give in, finishing the race in four hours 17 minutes and 14 seconds! Though the last few miles were a challenge.
“The race was going smoothly until about mile 20. In my head, I knew six more miles wasn’t a very long distance. In my body, however, I was running out of energy,” he said. “I stopped to eat some jelly beans and do some stretches. I did walk a short distance just before the Mall but summoned up the courage to keep running for the final few miles.”
Support Pat and STAR
Pat persevered and finished his race and now it’s the turn of STAR supporters to follow his example and power through the final stretch to reach our fundraising target of £1,000. We’re nearly there with more than £800 raised, but still have a little bit to go.
You can help Pat reach his fundraising goal through Just Giving. A big thank you to those of you who have already donated.
Future plans
As for Pat, what’s he thinking about now that he’s reached his goal of running 26.2 miles? Doing it again. “I would love to run it again and try to improve on my time,” he says.
Posted by Communications on 20/04/2011 at 10:50 AM
