with ourselves. My dad joked at the time that I take everything to extremes and I would be running the London Marathon next! I told him I would run the marathon no problem if he stopped smoking and the whole family laughed about it. The thought of any of us

and Spine Foundation, which was a charity close to my heart due to my experience.Since 2008 I have completed five marathons - New York, Las Vegas, London (twice) and Dublin. I have raised a large sum of money for the charity in this two-year period.A week

Well I did it, I managed to run a marathon. Not bad for a man of 41 who had not ran for 23 years and to be quite honest, a man who was and is totally rubbish at sport. How proud I was running the last few miles of the London Marathon 2010 - my first

for next year's London Marathon and if I get in, I'll be raising money for MS as a close friend is very ill with it.Lastly, I'm setting up a running group to raise funds for Save the Children with their new 'Born to Run' project, as it is for a great cause

with pride to say that the half-marathon than became the 2011 Virgin London Marathon. On one of the hottest days of the year I set out with the aim of running a sub-5 hour marathon and 26.2 miles later I crossed the line in 4:59:12 - a whole 48 seconds

to the doctors that had helped me recover that led me to train for and run my first London Marathon – raising money to support Spinal Research. Up to then I had always hated running (unless I had a ball tucked under my arm and an eye on the touchline) – I

For years and years I had watched the Great North Run and London Marathon on TV – quite envious of the runners taking part, wishing I too could one day do the same! I have been a type 1 diabetic for 20 years and although it is well controlled I felt

the worst winter for some years I trained. Through snow, rain and hail in freezing temperatures I ran the Monsal Trail to my office most days and then at the weekends hit the Peak District routes where I now live and work.The London Marathon came first