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Over £15,000 raised by Saint Francis Hospice running team at Brentwood Half Marathon

21 March 2011

Sixty runners raising money for Saint Francis Hospice joined the 3,000 people who completed the Brentwood Half Marathon on Sunday. Supporters – family, friends and onlookers - lined the 13.1 mile route, cheering on the crowds of runners.

It is hoped that over £15,000 has been raised for the charity, which provides care to people living with a life limiting illness, free of charge. 

One of the first across the finish line for the hospice team, completing the scenic course, which winded through the countryside surrounding Brentwood in 1 hour 45 minutes, was Alan Lamont.

Alan, 40, from Wyatts Green Brentwood, completed the Brentwood Half Marathon as part of his training for the London Marathon on April 17. He is running in memory of both his aunty and a close family friend who were cared for at the hospice.

“I’m so pleased with my time – I even managed to beat my coach who’s been training me for London,” he said. ”It was a great run, my family and friends were dotted around which really lifts you, I’m still walking around in a bit of a high. I’ll be taking the London Marathon a bit more easily and steadily, but this has really boosted me and proved that I can do it.

“If I’m going to run the marathon it’s for a good cause,” he said. “Saint Francis Hospice really did help out our families, they treat patients with such dignity and provide such support. We wouldn’t have been able to cope without them, so I have huge respect for all the staff and all of the work they do.”

Wendy Aston, 29, from Harold Hill, completed the race in 2 hours 18 minutes. She was running in memory of her friend David Little, who died in Saint Francis Hospice in October, and hopes to have raised over £400.

“It was a really good race, the atmosphere was brilliant, and it surprised me how many people were doing their own water stations outside their own houses and there were kids with bowls of jelly babies on the side of the road,” she said.

“My main motivation is to do it in memory of Dave, he’s very special, everybody thought the world of him. I miss him dearly, and the main thing for me was to try and raise a little bit of money to put back into the hospice - if only one other family can benefit like we did when Dave was in there then I feel like I’ve done something good.”

Paul Freedman, 86, finished the race in just under 3 hours. He has been the oldest runner in the Brentwood Half Marathon for the past 8 years, and this week found out he will be the oldest runner in the London Marathon on April 17.

“It was tiring today, but I still really enjoyed it,” he said. Paul aims to complete the marathon in under six hours, and can’t wait to be the oldest runner. “I am thrilled at the news. I’ll take it as it comes though, I’m slowing down now but I’m happy with what I’m doing - and the main reason I do it is for the charity. I’ll see how I do this year and decide if I’ll carry on with marathons, I definitely won’t give up running.”

Anita Albrecht, 36, of Coxtie Road, Pilgrims Hatch is a nutritional advisor and a champion natural body builder, running her own personal training business in Brentwood. Running was a big change for the fitness routine Anita was familiar with, but she completed the run in 2 hours 18 minutes, and hopes to have raised over £500.

"I was really pleased," she said. "It's never been something I've been good at, but it was fantastic, I seriously loved it - I’m really shocked how much I enjoyed it. I promised myself that if I started to feel tired I would think about the people I was doing it for and it put everything into perspective and kept me going. The whole experience personally professionally and unselfishly was amazing."

Hospice fundraiser Lauren Josman said: “We are so proud of the Saint Francis Hospice running team, and would like to thank them for supporting us in the Brentwood Half Marathon. This year our services will cost £7.4 million, so having such a big team of 60 runners in the Brentwood Half Marathon means a lot to us. £15.000 is a fantastic sum of money, and it will make such a difference to people in the local community living with a life limiting illness.”

There are many events through the year when you can run for Saint Francis Hospice, including the Royal Park's Half Marathon in October, or the Dublin Marathon. For more information click here.
 

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