Well done to everyone who took part in the epic London Marathon recently, whether virtually or at the live event. The day was filled with emotion, sore feet, lots of cheering, celebrations and a great sense of achievement as five people completed the virtual course walking and running their way around their local areas. Our live runner, Andrew completed the event in London in an incredible 3 hours and 11 minutes.

Andrew, who grew up in Nottinghamshire, was keen to support Reach and had previously taken on the Newark Half Marathon to raise money for us. He decided to push himself even further this time and trained for many, many hours to build up to the marathon distance. Andrew lives with his support team consisting of his much-loved Labrador Travis, who often accompanied him on his shorter training runs, and his fiancé Lyndsey who rode alongside him on longer runs, offering words of encouragement.

Reach receives just one place every five years in this prestigious event and this was our year.

Andrew said ‘I was very excited and nervous at the same time when I was offered the marathon place. The training was tough, but it paid off on the day. The crowds and the atmosphere in London were amazing and really encouraging. I knew my family were all watching and following on the app from home, and I managed to spot my fiancé Lyndsey a few times on the route which really helped. I had a big fundraising target, so I was delighted when I exceeded it. Reach supported me by sharing my fundraising page on social media and in press releases in local papers. They stayed in touch to see how I was doing and offered support when I needed it. Thank you to Reach for this once in a lifetime opportunity.’

A huge congratulations to everyone who took part and raised money for Reach – thank you!

If you would like to take on a challenge for Reach please get in touch with Sarah – sarah.cobb@reachuk.org to discuss your ideas and see how we can support you.