Community
Marathon men ready to run after extended wait
Charity participants set for the off in London after an 18-month delay
October 1, 2021 15:30
Charity participants set for the off in London after an 18-month delay
October 1, 2021 15:30For some, participation in Sunday’s London Marathon is the culmination of an 18-month wait, the 2020 race having been restricted to elite runners and the 2021 event put back from its traditional April timeslot. For communal charities, it’s a welcome funding boost, Norwood estimating that it lost £60,000 in desperately needed revenue through being unable to field a marathon team in 2020.
This year, Norwood has a 25-strong marathon squad, among them Cardiff-based Steven Salamon, who operates a third generation family business, Wally’s Delicatessen.
“I am not really a runner so this is a massive challenge for me,” he said. The challenge had been made harder “by the double postponement and the consequential disruption to my motivation and training”.
He will be sharing the proceeds from his sponsorship between Norwood and the Oli Leigh Trust, working to help prevent teenage suicides and established in memory of Oli Leigh, who took his own life in 2018 at the age of 16.
Norwood has supported the Leigh family and there is a further link as Oli’s grandmother was a Norwood orphan.
Jewish Care’s five marathon runners have raised £14,000 and counting for the charity’s services.
Among them is Alan Giesenow, 39, from High Barnet, who works in commercial property.
Having signed up for his first full marathon two years ago, the enforced wait had afforded him “a chance to raise a little bit of extra money. It’s a real honour to run for the charity, especially after the pandemic.”
Explaining his motivation, another of its entrants, Jake Norton, said: “The last year has really showed us why Jewish Care is so vital to our community. They have managed to help so many of our friends to not only survive but thrive, even when up against the most difficult of challenges.”
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