The postponement of the London Marathon, which should have taken place on Sunday 26th April, will have been a big disappointment to many runners. The first Marathon took place in March 1981, and this is the first time it has been postponed. A new date in October is under discussion – depending on how things go it might only include elite runners.
Some of the runners who had hoped to take part on Sunday, plus lots of other caring people, have been taking part in the alternative fundraiser the 2.6 Challenge, to help support the many charities who are struggling with loss of revenue from the cancellation of fundraising event like the Marathon.
Even if you can’t organise a fundraiser, you can make a donation to your preferred charity via the Virgin Money Giving site: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/giving/
Diespeker continues to support our chosen charity stem4 and we’d be very grateful for any donations – self-isolation has been really difficult for many young people and stem4 is providing free online COVID-19 mental health resources for teenagers, parents, teachers and health professionals.
On a lighter note, we’ve come across a photo of MD John Krause from the first marathon he took part in in 2000, complete with a ‘118-118’ style headband – very trendy at the time! John says. “At this time, I never thought then for a moment that I would do 168 marathons!”
John’s fastest marathon time was achieved in the London Marathon 15 years later which he ran in 3.08 hours. He’s pictured here with his medal with fellow runner, Diespeker’s Charles Hampden-Smith.
