The London Marathon is one of the most emotive events in the sporting calendar because so many of the participants - including those from the Isle of Wight - do it for charities close to their hearts.
This year, on Sunday, October 3, there is both a live race in London and a virtual event, so more runners than ever are able to to take part.
Scroll through our gallery of pictures above to see more pictures of the charity runners from the Isle of Wight...
Ready to take on the 26.2-mile challenge is James Coleman from Sandown, who is taking part in the live race and raising money for the national hearing loss charity, RNID.
He has hearing problems, including hereditary degenerative hearing loss and tinnitus, and also suffered a massive Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) a few years ago.
He said the help he has received from RNID has been outstanding. To sponsor him CLICK HERE.
Emily Galt from Ryde is at the live race, where she is running for Diabetes UK.
She said: “My friend Cath encouraged me to do RED January in 2018 knowing I hated exercise, and dragged me along to my first parkrun.
“I hadn’t appreciated the complications she faced running with Type1 diabetes, and I coincidentally ended up working with the Island diabetes team later in the year.”
This will be Emily’s first proper marathon event, although she did the virtual London Marathon in horrendous weather conditions last year.
CLICK HERE to sponsor Emily.
Secondary school pupils from The Bay CE School in Sandown will be cheering on their PE teacher, Gareth Bricknell, as he takes on the live race in aid of The Wight Brainy Bunch.
In December 2019, The Bay CE School raised £1,200 for The Wight Brainy Bunch, which supported one of its students and his family while he went through treatment for a brain tumour.
Gareth wanted to do more for the charity and you can sponsor him HERE.
Sarah Cass from Ryde is doing the live race in aid of Macmillan.
She has run on and off for the past 17 years, but had never run further than ten miles before starting her marathon training. To sponsor her CLICK HERE.
Beverley James from Lake is running the live race in aid of Cats Protection Isle of Wight.
She adores cats and is doing a two-run challenge, the first part of which was the virtual London Marathon last year.
She completed the London Marathon in 2019 and her fundraising page is HERE.
Alan Martin (above) from Ryde is running the live race in aid of COSMIC, the Children of St Mary’s Intensive Care at St Mary’s in Paddington.
He said: “My sister-in-law, Sarah Martin, who worked as a respiratory physio at St Mary’s Hospital in Newport, passed away suddenly two years ago.
Her schoolfriend and best friend, Wendy Dadson, is a senior staff nurse at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, and supported my family during our loss immensely, so it’s my way of remembering my sister-in-law and a way of thanking Wendy.”
Alan’s fundraising page is HERE.
Gillian Shaw, from Newport, is running the live race for Mountbatten.
Gillian restarted running about five years ago, aged 61 — before that she hadn’t run since leaving school.
She said: “Mountbatten is close to my heart — they’ve been there for me and my family several times and we couldn’t have coped with our loss without their love and support.”
Danny Sturgeon, who is currently living in Caterham, but has links with the Island, is running the live race in aid of The Family Holiday Association.
He said: “It’s a really great charity which helps people who can’t afford a break — which is really needed these days more than ever.”
He likes to encourage people to think about the little charities, not just the big ones, and his fundraising page is HERE.
Craig Jaspers, from Cowes, is one of a number of Islanders making up their own route for the virtual race, where your progress is measured via a special London Marathon app.
Until 18 months ago, Craig had never run more than 5km and this will be his first marathon.
He is running in aid of Dementia UK and he said: “My grandmother is suffering with dementia and she is an Isle of Wighter who emigrated to New Zealand — she is still there now at 97.
“I know how hard dementia is — it doesn’t just impact the sufferer, but also the family around that person, and Dementia UK supports families as well and does an amazing job.”
Craig’s fundraising page is HERE.
Katy Simpson, who lives in Frome, Somerset, is running the virtual event in aid of the Epilepsy Society, because her nephew, Albie, who lives on the Isle of Wight, was recently diagnosed with the condition.
She explained: “Albie is only five, so it has been a sudden change for the whole family.
“This is my first marathon — I signed up on the day Albie had his diagnosis. I have done a half marathon before, but never more than that!
“Although I don’t live on the Island, Albie and his family do, so it feels the right place to be running!”
Lisa Hendy, of Newport, is running the virtual race in aid of Isle of Wight Daisy Chains, which helps children who have been diagnosed with life-limiting illness, disability or have a long-term health problems.
She said: “I am already a supporter and seeing as they haven’t been able to hold the Festival of Heroes for two years, it seemed even more important to try and raise funds for them.”
Lisa has never done a marathon, but has completed the Great South Run and Walk the Wight before.
Her fundraising page is HERE
Finally, County Press reporter Kate Young — author of this article — is taking on the virtual race in aid of the Wessex Cancer Trust.
Kate did the virtual London Marathon last year, has a place in next year’s live race, and can be sponsored HERE.
- Are you running this year's London Marathon for charity?
- If so, we would love to hear more! Simply click on the submissions box below to send us details and pictures!
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