Marathon magic for Farm Africa runners

21 April 2013

Farm Africa runners and supporters brought their very own distinctive splash of colour today to a magical afternoon of London Marathon fundraising down by the banks of Thames.

Each Farm Africa runner described being carried along on a wave of irresistible support by the cheering crowds who had turned up in their hundreds of thousands in the sunshine to line the route.

One Farm Africa runner, Katharine Morton, only decided to take part in the Marathon after her father won a space for her in a charity auction. "I had never run a marathon before and I don't think I could have got round if it hadn't been for the incredible support all the way round", she told us after finishing.

Katharine was also inspired to keep on going through the really hard final few miles after a couple of runners spotted her Farm Africa running vest and told her what a fantastic charity Farm Africa is and how they had been impressed to see the work in action in Africa.

And not to be outdone by two particularly enthusiastic Farm Africa supporters dressed as a pea and a goat, Sussex farmer Tim Jury ran the entire length of the course dressed as a chicken.

"Running here in London is so special" said Tim who was running in his fifth marathon for Farm Africa since 2003. "But it's made all the more special to be running for a charity like Farm Africa."

And while the choice of chicken costume may have seemed barmy to some, there is nothing headless about Tim's commitment to fundraising for Farm Africa. The farmer from Pett near Hastings has raised in the region of £100,000 for Farm Africa over 25 years of tireless support. And today's marathon was the first in a remarkable trio of challenges Tim has set himself to mark his 60th birthday. Later this summer he will run the 69 miles length of Hadrian's Wall in under 24 hours, before setting off for London from his Hastings farm in a fundraising bike ride.

Farm Africa would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to the incredible dedication and fundraising commitment of all our 2013 London Marathon runners:

Peter Ruddick, Emma Richardson, Luke Swaffield, Nicola Young, Alex Grounds, Kim Morgan, Rob Truman, Johnny Dixon, Tim Jury, Katharine Morton, Becca Katz, Andrew Smith and Farm Africa's very own Rosie Marfleet.