Week Ending - 2024/03/24
2024 LONDON MARATHON PREVIEW
Sixteen Badgers are expected to be at the start of the 2024 TCS London Marathon which takes place on Sunday 21st April. There is a rich mix of debutantes and experience plus a handful of runners looking to raise money for good causes.
Men’s captain Dave Hill ran a club record 2:33:53 in the rain last year and he earned entry into the prestigious Championship Start zone for his chance to go even faster still. Followers of his running cannot fail to notice the improvements over the back end of 2023. Could he be on his way to becoming the first Badger ever to break 2:30 for the distance?
Another Dave is hoping to follow a similar path to personal glory – Dave McGowan clocked a very respectable 2:49:11 last year and again qualified on merit. But his training going into this race has been outstanding by comparison and hopes are high from his supporters for a new personal best.
Ryan Preece has had an injury-hit build-up to the event where he ran a fabulous 2:38:17 (PB) in 2023 but his determination to succeed should stand him in good stead for another decent run, even if it doesn’t quite hit the heights of the prior attempt. Veteran athletes Chris Horton and Chris Tweed also qualified through the “Good for Age” route, with their sub-three-hour times good enough to earn them a shot in the capital. Horton will be running his ninth London, more than anyone else in the club. Tweed’s journey to the start line has been nothing short of remarkable. His distance debut came in at 4:24 aged 28, but years of dedication and hard work saw him reduce that time down to below three hours in his forties and his PB is under serious threat going into this event.
Wayne Repton secured the Badgers club place for 2024 with team-mates Ivana Babicova, David Craig and Ollie Wheldon all getting a place through the general ballot. Bob Dawe gained a place this way too and he is using the opportunity to raise funds for Dementia UK and therefore joins six fellow Badgers who are also raising cash by means of their charity place entries.
Amber Nickless is running for the Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of her brother, Jonny. Beth Woodward has been training alongside her and she runs for Action for A-T, as a thank-you to the charity for funding research in the lab she has recently completed her PhD in. They fund research to find a cure for the genetic disease Ataxia Telangiectasia. It will be both ladies’ first attempt at the distance.
Krystal Knight runs for Make a Wish UK in memory of Flo Stokes, the 8-year-old local girl who bravely battled neuroblastoma until her untimely passing last year. Clare Mellor is taking part for JDRF, the diabetes charity and finally Paul Restall will be running for Muscular Dystrophy UK, exactly 40 years on from when he first ran the London Marathon for the very same charity! New recruit Brad Jukes is raising funds for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and has already surpassed his sponsorship target.
So far, they have already raised over £13,000 collectively with around a month to go before the race begins. If you would like to make a donation, however big or small, you can go to the links below. All contributions will be gratefully received by both athletes and the ultimate beneficiaries.