This will be my first marathon and that’s part of what makes it so exciting, but daunting.  I don’t have much experience of distance running.  I’ve done a few half marathons before and every time I crossed the finish line, my first thought was, “How on earth do people manage to run double this distance?” The training runs are getting longer now, which has been both challenging and strangely enjoyable. There’s something weirdly satisfying about going further than I ever thought I could.

The London Marathon has always been a goal for me. I’ve loved pushing myself physically and have played a lot of rugby, but running a marathon feels like a whole new kind of challenge. It’s definitely taken me out of my comfort zone. After three knee surgeries and a few injuries over the years, I know I’m not aiming for record-breaking times, but I’m determined to give it my best shot.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Every long training run feels like uncharted territory for me. It’s a strange mix of excitement and “What am I doing?!” My younger brother is running too. He did it last year in 2:55, so there’s absolutely no catching him, but a bit of sibling rivalry is keeping me motivated.

It’s been a tough balancing act with work and family life. I’m a headteacher at Queen's College Prep School in Somerset and I have a young family, so carving out the time to train hasn’t been easy. But I want to show my girls and the pupils at my school that if you work hard and commit to something, you can achieve things you never thought possible. Crossing that finish line will be an emotional moment, I’m sure. 

I chose to run for Aspire because it’s such an incredible charity. They help people with spinal cord injuries rebuild their independence, which is such important work. My wife is a neuro and spinal physio, so I hear a lot about the struggles her patients face and the life-changing impact of the right support. Hearing her stories about their challenges and resilience has been a huge motivator for me.

I’ve learned how much effort goes into even the smallest steps of recovery, and Aspire’s work in helping people live more independently really inspires me to do my bit.  My wife's work mostly focuses on intensive care and early rehab, but Aspire takes it a step further, helping people regain a sense of normality in their lives. It feels really special to be able to support their work in some small way.

It’s early days, but I’m excited to get my fundraising going. I've got a few ideas in the works. I’m planning a pop-up café and maybe even a movie night to help raise funds and get the community involved. 

Training has been a mix of highs and lows. I’ve really enjoyed getting into a routine, though I won’t lie, my legs are starting to feel it! I’m lucky to have a friend helping me with nutrition and a strength and conditioning plan which I hope will help with injury prevention and a few friends have joined me on some runs. The weather has been awful though. I started in snow and ice a few weeks ago, we've now moved to wind, rain and flooding, surely there's some sun on the way soon! It's also really hard getting motivated after a long day at work and running in the dark. The hardest part has been fitting the runs around everything else, but I’m trying to stay consistent.

It will mean a huge amount to me to run the London Marathon. It’s not just the physical challenge, it’s being part of something so iconic and sharing the experience with thousands of other people running for causes close to their hearts.

I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s supported me so far—it means so much. My family has been amazing, even if they’re probably sick of hearing me talk about running all the time! Running the marathon is going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but knowing I’m doing it for such an important cause makes it all worthwhile. If you can donate it would mean a huge amount to me and I know will give me the extra motivation. 

Sponsor Henry

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