Runners gets to know if they participate to London Marathon
Fifty thousand runners are expecting to take part in the London Marathon on October 3. But for those who miss out on the ballot, will get the chance to sign up for one of a further 50,000 places in the virtual event on the same day. Thousands of runners will know if they have been lucky on the ballot for this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon on Monday.
Macmillan Cancer Support is the event’s charity of the year. The Macmillan hope runners and supporters will help to raise “vital funds” so can recover from the “devastating impact” of the pandemic.
Claire Rowney, the charity’s executive director of fundraising, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has had an overwhelming impact on our income, at a time when people living with cancer need our support more than ever to help navigate through this anxious period.”He added that the vital funds raised through runners and supporters of this year’s event will help us continue to do whatever it takes to be there for everyone living with cancer.
Team Macmillan will include Chris Rose, whose wife Angela died in February 2019 after being diagnosed with breast cancer. It was Angela’s dream to take part, so he ran the London Marathon weeks later with some of her ashes in the wristband. With this action, they could cross the finish line together. The 40-year-old man said, taking part in the event was one of the craziest and most emotional things he has ever done.
Jake Brockwell, 32, who had surgery for bowel cancer in 2019, will also run for the charity. He lost his father, Lee to bowel cancer 19 years ago when he was just 13 and said he remembered the Macmillan nurse who cared for his father was “like a superhero”.
Research for Macmillan found around one in seven people (14%) said running had helped them to distress since the first lockdown in March 2020, with a third saying outdoor exercise made them feel calmer (34%) and more positive (33%). One in five people (21%) said it made them feel mentally stronger.
However, the survey of more than 2,000 people found nearly a fifth (19%) of people were not taking the time to prioritise their well-being during the current lockdown. When a third (35%) were finding it harder to exercise outdoors due to cold weather and shorter days and more than one in 10 (13%) said they lacked motivation without aiming for an event or challenge. The ballot results for this year’s marathon will be released online for the first time.
Event director Hugh Brasher revealed, “We know there will be many people celebrating today, but we also know there will be many more who, unfortunately, was unsuccessful in the ballot. However, this is the best chance yet to be part of the Virgin Money London Marathon because 2021 is set to be the biggest marathon in the world.” He added that unsuccessful runners can sign up to run for a charity or virtual Virgin Money London Marathon. The virtual event allows people to earn the same medal and T-shirt by completing 26.2 miles on October 3 on a route of their choice within the 24-hour window.
READ MORE:
Modern players like Wayne Rooney honed their skills playing street football.