A big thank you to our Marathon runners
Earlier this year, we had two incredible supporters take part in the London and Brighton Marathon, all to raise vital funds for NAWT.
James ran the Brighton Marathon back on the 7thof April, and Layla ran the London Marathon on the 21st of April. They both absolutely smashed it, and we cannot thank them enough for choosing us as their chosen charity.
We caught up with them both to find out how they got on.
“Arriving at the start line for the marathon, I had a few thoughts going through my head “have I done enough to be here”? “How will It go”? Pre event nerves are nothing new to me, however, on this occasion they were dispelled early into the race. The support from the crowds, alongside the beautiful weather, helped tremendously with this effort. Although I now know I set off a bit too quickly, it was a fantastic event to be part of. Knowing I was doing this for NAWT, with the NAWT T-shirt on for all to see, was truly special.
The run itself went better than I could have hoped for. It was not easy though, and for around 15 miles I dealt with numerous issues such as thirst, a stitch in my side, cramping in my legs, tight shoulders, and worst of all sunburn! Knowing how much support I had received from NAWT, family, friends, and work colleagues alike, meant for me, however, that I was never going to stop. The feeling when I crossed the finish line was one of my proudest accomplishments to date. If I were to do it again, I would start slower, but other than that I would just enjoy the marathon once more.
I want to thank NAWT once again for allowing me to run for the charity and I hope I may be offered the opportunity to do it again in future.”
- James
“Thinking back to my second London Marathon fills me with happiness! I was lucky enough to get into the marathon via the ballot and after thinking carefully about what charity I would love to support, I quickly chose NAWT Hertfordshire.
I visited the centre in February after choosing to support them. I was overwhelmed by how amazing the animals in the shelter are cared for, despite being a small charity!
The marathon itself was extremely tricky after finding myself being in an extreme amount of pain from 14 miles onwards. However, all I could think about was the money I was raising for NAWT and that’s what got me to the finish line!
For anyone that is thinking about taking part in a marathon I would recommend it all day every day, despite the pain on the day!!
I have entered the ballot again for next year so let’s hope it will be 3rd time lucky in a row!
A big thank you to NAWT for supporting me throughout my marathon journey and I will always be here to support the charity.”
- Layla
Thank you so much again to James and Layla for taking part. James raised an incredible £1,135 for our NAWT Berkshire centre, and Layla raised an amazing £1,285 for our NAWT Hertfordshire centre. The money will help to continue caring for the homeless and abandoned animals that come through our doors.
Have you been inspired to get involved? Keep an eye on our fundraising page for different ways you can raise money for us.