2010 Virgin London Marathon Sunday 25th April
This year the Icelandic ash cloud caused all sorts of problems for runners trying to either get back from their Easter holidays or indeed hindered our overseas runners getting to the UK to take part in the race. However with determination and ingenuity most of our runners who found themselves caught up in the problems managed to get to the start of the first Virgin London Marathon. We had 212 Golden Bond runners and 18 own place runners taking part. The event this year was a significant one as it was sponsored for the first time by Virgin and it was the 30th Anniversary of the London Marathon.
As always our Phabkids vests were easy to spot around the 26.2 mile marathon course. We had supporters on the course from Epsom & Ewell and Barking & Dagenham giving words of encouragement to our runners. The feedback received from many who took part endorsed the fact that our runners really do appreciate, and need, the support given and it is hoped that for the 2011 event more Clubs will be present around the course giving their encouragement to the runners who raise sponsorship for Phab. It is a great day out!
Please email madeleine@phabkids.co.uk if your Club would like to support on the day - Sunday 17th April 2011.
We were privileged once again to have the use of The Storeyard in St James's Park as our post-race meeting point. Our runners and their families were welcomed as they arrived at The Storeyard by John Leach, Chairman of Phab and Martin Holdsworth, Chief Officer of Phab and a team of volunteers. Angela and Mick Formby, whose help on the day is invaluable, took photos of most runners who made use of the facilities and for the first time we had another photographer snapping informal shots. For the third consecutive year we were able to offer post-race massage to our runners by a team of massage therapists from the Southern School of Massage who worked extremely hard to ease aching muscles.
Our first male Golden Bond runner to complete the marathon was John Woodman in the very respectable time of 3.10.34 and our first female Golden Bond runner home was for the second consecutive year Katherine Rees in a time of 3.34.30 beating her time from last year by over 4 minutes.
We are grateful to all our runners who devoted so much time, energy and effort in running the marathon and raising sponsorship. They achieved so much for Phab and their personal achievement in completing the Virgin London Marathon is something they will always remember.
Madeleine Fry,
PhabKids Marathon Co-Ordinator