“It was incredible to complete this amazing event”: At the finish line with CAFOD’s marathon runners
This October, CAFOD runners lined up in the London Marathon and the Royal Parks Half Marathon. Both events were amazing, with great weather, great crowds and of course our incredible runners!
London Marathon
The intrepid CAFOD runners who raced at the London Marathon were Chris Pickthall, Hayley Aldrich, Carlyn Lobo, Alain Ndabala, James Habberley, and Elaine Brown.
One of our runners, Hayley, shares her experience of what it was like to finish the 26.2 mile-run:
“I absolutely loved taking part in the London Marathon. The atmosphere was absolutely incredible, and it is an experience I genuinely will never forget. As I crossed the finish line, I was bursting with pride and relief! I felt such a huge sense of achievement not only at completing such a massive challenge, but also raising money for CAFOD. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do this.”
A few of our CAFOD staff came to show their support. Neil Roper, who attended the event to cheer on the CAFOD runners, explains:
“It was amazing to attend the London Marathon and cheer on the CAFOD runners. It was a lovely day, and we say all six runners as they went past our cheer point. A number of staff came along to soak up the atmosphere, and one even brought their dog, Bertie!”
Thank you to everyone who ran for CAFOD, as well as those who came to cheer (especially Bertie!).
Royal Parks Half Marathon
The following weekend, the Royal Parks Half Marathon was in full swing. The CAFOD runners who lined up for this event were Paul Leonard, Molly Carter, Amanda Roper, and Jenina Maniego.
Amanda, one of the runners, shares how CAFOD’s mission helped her to push through the run:
“I was so determined to run the Royal Parks Half Marathon for CAFOD. I’ve had some injury concerns in the lead up to the race, but really wanted to take on this challenge and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Royal Parks. It was incredible to complete this amazing event, and even more so as my effort will raise funds for CAFODs work around the world.”
I had the pleasure of attending the Royal Parks Half Marathon to cheer on our CAFOD runners. The venue was gorgeous, and it was so nice to spend the morning in Hyde Park. It was great to chat with other staff who joined the cheering squad and family members of the runners who came to support. As we were cheering on our CAFOD runners, as well as the other runners who ran past us, you could tell that our encouragement from the side-lines boosted the morale of the racers. Despite the large amount of people running, we were able to see all our CAFOD runners during the race!
CAFOD runners at both events raised £35,000 combined! What an amazing accomplishment! Thank you for your support, and congrats on completing an incredible run!