A FITNESS fanatic is taking on the London Marathon – after a 200 mile run to the starting line.
Former North Leamington School pupil Richard Smith will run from Chorley to London before completing the final leg of his challenge, running 26 miles in the London Marathon. He plans to complete the entire run within a week, starting from Monday April 18.
The 31-year-old, who hails from Leamington but now lives in Bolton, is running in aid of the Royal British Legion, and he aims to raise £5,000.
The money will go towards helping elderly veterans to live independently and offering holidays to families in the armed forces.
The regional manager for British Military Fitness said: “I’ve taken part in lots of different fitness challenges over the years so when I thought about the marathon, I decided to do something a bit different to try and raise as much money as possible. By the time I reach the marathon it’ll be the shortest leg of the run and will be more like my cool down so I’ll probably be the only person there looking forward to those 26 miles.
“The Royal British Legion is my chosen charity because I have friends in the military and it was my childhood dream to join the Royal Marines, which I went on to do for a while until I left and fitness became my day job as well as my hobby.
“The Royal British Legion is a charity that’s close to my heart – I know the money will go to a good cause and I want to raise as much as I can.”
Richard – who also plans to take part in the Ironman UK competition in July – is training by running to and from work, which is a 16-mile round trip.
He also hopes people of all running abilities will join him on his mammoth 200 mile run.
He said: “For me it’s not just about raising lots of money, I also want to raise awareness. I want people to know that you don’t have to be the fittest person to go out for a run, you can just put your running shoes on and get out there – anyone can do it.”
Search ‘Rich Runs to London’ on Facebook to find out more about routes.
Visit www.justgiving.com/Rich-runs-to-London to donate.
