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27
Sept 2022
Last Updated: 30/09/2022
Harrogate district runners line up for Sunday's London Marathon
The Stray Ferret is sharing stories of local participants in the run-up to the huge fundraising event this weekend.
Runners from across the Harrogate district will descend on the capital this weekend for the 42nd London Marathon.
Held in October for the third time because of the impact of the covid pandemic, it will see 40,000 people cover the 26.2-mile route around the city, with a further 10,000 expected to take part virtually around the country.
The Stray Ferret is sharing the stories of local participants in the run-up to the event on Sunday, October 2.
If you're taking part and would like to be included, email details to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
Record attempt for unicorn runner
Jeremie Maillard from Harrogate will have two challenges in front of him as he crosses the start line on Sunday.
First, he will need to complete the distance - and second, he hopes to become the fastest runner to complete the course dressed as a mythical creature.
The Guinness World Record attempt is not his first foray into costumed running. Jeremie said:
"Having run London Marathon several times over the years, having completed it once dressed as a Ninja Turtle, I absolutely love the support from the crowd. So why not combining the running experience whilst fundraising for a great cause?
"If you see a unicorn on a practice ride ahead of the big day in October, you are not dreaming. You might not recognise the runner under the mask, but be sure that I will be sweating whilst struggling to see through my nostrils."
Jeremie has already surpassed his £250 fundraising target for the Alzheimer's Research UK, and donations are still coming in. To sponsor him, click here.
Early Bird runner takes on challenge for hospice
A Harrogate man will show his gratitude to the hospice that cared for his father by raising funds this weekend.
Nick Page's father Warren was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and underwent treatment for more than five years.
In early 2021, he was placed under the care of the Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice community team, who provided help to Warren and his wife. Nick said:
“As his health deteriorated, it was November that year he recognised the need for more specialist care and was admitted to the hospice for what turned out to be his last two weeks.
“At that time, for us as a family, the word hospice had negative connotations and it was initially a battle to be able to talk about.
"The reality was very different from what I had envisaged. Yes it is a medical setting but with a calm and empathetic atmosphere and the staff were incredibly kind and supportive.
"Covid restrictions were in place at that time, however, we were always welcomed and had great comfort knowing that Dad was in safe hands and I believe that his last days and hours were peaceful.”
Nick's daughter India, now nine months old, was born just two weeks after his father's funeral in January this year. The whole family has continued to receive support from Sue Ryder this year.
Nick has also found comfort from a running group in Harrogate, which has helped to inspire his marathon training too. He said:
“I joined the Early Bird Run Crew, who run every morning in Harrogate. It was established with the primary goal of improving mental and physical health and has given me the opportunity to use exercise as an outlet.
"The crew are a really encouraging group of people and this has helped me push myself with my training and preparation for running the marathon.
"Through the friendships that have been formed I’ve not done a long training run alone and one of the crew, Andy, will be running the marathon with me. With mental health now being a regular topic of conversation, we will sometimes go for a coffee (or a beer) and talk openly about mental health.
"It’s been a great support and the driver behind me completing a Mental Health First Aid course as well as becoming a wellbeing ambassador at my place of work because I want to channel my experiences into helping others in a similar situation.”
To donate to Nick's fundraising, click here.
Marathon efforts for friends of young cancer patient
A former Ripon Grammar School pupil will run the London Marathon this weekend to support her friend who has been going through gruelling cancer treatment.
Lucy Verity, who left the school in 2018, was diagnosed with the rare bone cancer Ewing Sarcoma in January last year. She has undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as having 21 blood transfusions.
The young Masham resident has already raised more than £35,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, which has supported her through her treatment, and the Bone Cancer Research Trust.
Her friend Ruby Beardsall, right, will run the marathon this weekend, while her brother Oliver will take on the York Marathon later in October.
Lucy's mum Gaynor said:
“Bone cancer is a brutal cancer and needs a very aggressive treatment regime.
“We couldn’t have got through the last 19 months without the support of the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) and its dedicated link nurse. At the moment the charity can’t reach all the patients it would like to due to lack of funding.
“The Bone Cancer Research Trust (BCRT), based in Leeds, receives no government funding and every penny raised counts towards research and providing support and information on bone cancer."
To donate to Lucy's fundraising, click here.
Running in memory of Dad
Knaresborough runner Tom Kilmurray will be raising money for the MS Society in memory of his father, Bob, who died from the illness last year.
Bob had been diagnosed with MS 16 years earlier and was cared for by his wife, Tom's mum. In his younger days, Bob was a runner too, and Knaresborough Striders member Tom is following in his footsteps.
Bob Kilmurray, left, completing the London Marathon in 1983 and son Tom in training this yearTom said:
“I really wanted to do something in memory of my dad and show support to other carers out there like my mum. Like me, running was big part of my dad’s life and in 1983 he ran the London Marathon in three hours and six minutes.
“It has been awful to see someone who was so active and energetic slowly deteriorate, plus watch the strain it put on my mum, who was my dad’s full-time carer for the last few years of his life. Running London has been a long-held ambition but running in my dad’s footsteps for this charity will be extra special.”
A familiar face at local Parkruns, Tom has set himself a target of £2,000. To sponsor Tom, click here.
Former Ripon pupil supporting women's rights in Afghanistan
A former Ripon Grammar School pupil is preparing to run the marathon on Sunday to help protect some of the most vulnerable people in the world.
Edward Lyons, who left the school in 2016 for a degree in politics, philosophy and economics at King's College, London, is raising money for Afghanaid.
Having since worked as a Treasury economist, he said the charity is close to his heart:
“Afghanaid works with marginalised groups in the Afghan community, helping to provide emergency aid, and assisting communities with resources and education to help support them through political turmoil, human rights atrocities, and other devastating challenges.
“Having experienced first-hand the monumental effort of colleagues in Her Majesty's Treasury to support vulnerable citizens from Afghanistan via the Afghan Resettlement Scheme, this is something I feel extremely passionate about."
As well as hoping to raise more than £1,500, Ed is aiming for a sub-three hour marathon. He said his own experiences of fundraising events at school have helped to inspire him to continue doing what he can to support good causes.
His passion for economics and politics led him to set up the RGS Politics Society while in sixth form, driving him towards his future career.
He added:
“When the Taliban violently regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, I immediately feared the worst for the livelihoods of the millions of helpless victims.
"During the 20 years of Taliban-free leadership, huge strides were made in Afghanistan to secure prosperity and better opportunities for all across society.
“However, the insurgency of the Taliban has reversed much, if not all, of this progress. The collapse of the economic and financial system has meant that millions of people are currently on the brink of famine, including almost half of all children under five.
“Women and girls continue to bear the brunt of the Taliban’s brutal crackdown on civil liberties, most notably the loss of the basic human right to education, that will condemn them to second-class citizenship.
“These costs are not datapoints for academic research and news headlines; they are indicative of the real human suffering experienced by millions of people."
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