Running for charity with Laureus: Meet our London Marathon fundraisers
April 19, 2013
Running for charity is an inspiring thing for anyone to do. And this weekend, one of the biggest charity marathons of all will bring fundraisers from around the world together at the London Marathon.
Not only does a charity marathon involve the usual hardships of training, but adds the extra pressure of fundraising for a cause close to the heart. That is why Laureus is so proud to have a great team of runners tackling the London Marathon this weekend to raise funds for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
Laureus.com caught up with a few of the guys who told us about why marathon running for charity is important to them, what they did to prepare and why they decided Laureus was the right charity to run for.
Chris Korten
Chris is an accountant at Sony Pictures. No stranger to marathon running for charity, this will be his fifth! But having suffered a terrible knee injury in 2010, this will be his first in several years.
"My knee started to feel better, so I decided I would run [the Marathon] again. I was looking for a charity and, of all the options, Laureus stuck out to me for what it stands for… I love sport and the way Laureus uses sport for social change is brilliant… I always bore people with my analogy that football is like life, teamwork for one. It changes perceptions, mentalities, brings confidence to young people. This shows the power of sport!
When I got diagnosed, I wrote off ever being able to run again, so when I finish on Sunday I know it will be satisfying!
My advice for runners is just to enjoy the day, it’s amazing, especially the crowd. And remember, however much pain you’re in the end is only a few hours away and then you can have a pint."
Carl Ferrand
Carl is an employee of Laureus UK partner PruHealth. Carl doesn’t consider himself an expert runner, but is excited to be able to represent both Laureus and PruHealth on the big day.
"This is my first marathon and it’s been a challenge training. I’ve gone through all the music I own, and even started downloading audiobooks to listen to. They’re brilliant. I get bored of music, but you can get lost in an audiobook and almost forget you’re running. My favourite was the Alan Partridge biography, I, Partridge, which is brilliant and got me through many cold nights running.
But I’m excited to represent the relationship between PruHealth and Laureus. Laureus is a fantastic organisation, which is why we’re supporting here.
Now it feels a bit like the night before an exam. You can’t really learn anymore, you’re just left waiting nervously!"
Jane Watson
Jane is Vice-President at Deutsche Bank and moved to London from South Africa in 1999. This will be her first marathon.
"It’s a massive step. But it’s better than I thought, thanks to the support from people, like at work. Having that support and getting out running in the city has made it easier.
But I’m pretty nervous. All the people, the environment, the external factors make me very nervous, but excited as well. Hopefully that will make the miles tick by faster. And my mum has come from South Africa to support me, as well as friends. Seeing their faces will be really special.
And running for Laureus is an incredible motivation. From the time you get your running vest and people start donating you know you are going to run this come hell or high water. There’s no way you won’t do it…
… though the weather has made it pretty tough!"
Good luck to all our runners this Sunday and if you want to learn more about fundraising for Laureus click here.
