Runners in the London Marathon raised hundreds of thousands for communal and Israel charities, many motivated by a close personal connection to their chosen cause.
For example, among the dozen-strong team which has raised £65,000 and counting for Chai Cancer Care, Coby Bull raced in memory of cancer sufferer Jennifer Aron, who died last July. He recalled her as “a beautiful lady, inside and out, who fought bravely until the end, never complaining and always worrying about everybody else.” Mr Bull completed the race in just over five hours and raised £7,500.
A similar time was recorded by Ricky Green, who brought in more than £28,000.
Other Chai supporters included husband and wife Jonathan and Lauren Barr, who will be splitting around £10,000 between the charity and the North London Hospice.
“Running has become our lifestyle over the past six years,” Mr Barr said. “It helped me in my darkest days to take my mind off my cancer diagnosis and treatment and gave me my goal to run the 2015 New York Marathon 10 weeks post-chemotherapy, which I did successfully. Chai Cancer Care has been a rock to me during my testicular cancer journey — and my sadness at losing my mum to cancer. They have shown me such kindness and understanding.”
Other Chai runners were Charlotte Hamilton and fiancé Ben Menahem, Rachel Caplin, Michaela Krantz, Jo Benjamin, Josh Dvir, Mikey Salem and Melanie Ross.
Norwood’s team of 25 ran up an impressive £60,000, led by South African Mike Ginsberg, who finished in two hours 50 minutes. “It was an absolute honour to have run the race,” he said, “knowing that all the hard yards were for a great cause. It’s not every day you get to do something you love while being able to give back.”
Also among the group was Gary Behar from Borehamwood, who is no stranger to Norwood challenges, having recently completed the Los Angeles Marathon. His London time was four hours 16 minutes.
Another Norwood runner was 74-year-old great-grandmother Flora Frank. Her 35th marathon — and 20th in London — was completed in 6 hours 41 minutes and she raised £15,000.
Josh Nathan ran the 26.2 miles in seven hours to raise £2,500 for Jewish Blind & Disabled. His father Malcolm is a tenant at JBD’s Mill Hill property.
“Just two years ago, the thought of running even one mile was painful,” he said. “Yet here I am now, having just completed the London Marathon after months of lengthy early morning and late night runs.
“I wanted to be able to give something back to JBD, a special place that does so much for so many including my dad. Seeing him living independently with dignity has meant so much to me and my family.”
The quartet running for Langdon, supporting those with learning disabilities, was led home by Carinne Jay in 3:31. “This is my tenth marathon and I am so proud to represent Langdon,” she said. “My cousin is a Langdon member and he is the happiest he has ever been.”
Its other participants were Liam Stein, Laurence Broch — whose son William is a Langdon member — and Jonathan Field. “I am so proud that I have managed to raise much needed funds for a wonderful charity that has provided such crucial care for my niece Natasha,” Mr Field said. “A wonderful experience never to be repeated.”
Jack Morgan, Mark Plesner and Nikki Teper made up team Jami, raising a total £6,000 for the mental health charity.
Ms Teper was “astounded” by the number of mental health charities represented, “much more than when I ran in 2013, which shows the profile of mental health is growing”.
<h3><a href="https://www.thejc.com/landing/Tag/LondonMarathon">See all our coverage of the 2017 London Marathon here</a></h3>
Jewish Care’s four marathon runners included Yael Kohn, 42, who travelled from Israel to compete.
Josh Domb, 27, was one of the faster charity finishers, completing in 3:10. “Having hundreds of total strangers shout your name and cheer you on makes a huge difference,” he said. “When my grandma Diane went to live at Jewish Care’s Otto Schiff home last year, I was keen to find a way to show my appreciation for everything that the team at Jewish Care has done for her. Running a marathon was a great way to show my gratitude.”
Marking his 20th year at Jewish Care, director of fundraising and marketing Daniel Carmel-Brown ran his first marathon. Radio producer Matt Blom completed the charity’s team.
For Damian Schogger, the London race was one of 12 marathons in 12 months in aid of the Talia Trust for Children, providing specialist educational support to those with learning disabilities. He was “very happy” with his time of 3:17. Another running on a professional anniversary was Ashley Lerner, Maccabi GB’s head of operations for 10 years, who raised more than £2,500 for the organisation. Tammy Poggo raised £9,000 for Wizo UK.
