Two health promotion staff have been pounding the streets of two capital cities to raise money for charity. Ann McLaughlin, Health Promotion Lead Officer, was spurred to run the Rome Marathon whilst watching the London Marathon on TV during a Sunday morning ironing session.
Together with friends, training began in earnest – the longest run before Italy being 22.5 miles in Glasgow on a cold and rainy Saturday. Ann said: “Running the Rome Marathon was a fantastic experience. I found the first half harder than the second half and if any of you know the streets of Rome you will know there are a lot of cobbles – running on cobbles is not comfortable! A highlight has to be running through St Peter’s Square at around 23 miles – apparently the Pope mentioned ‘the marathoners’ during his morning Mass.”
Ann raised £925 for Mary’s Meals and Shelter Scotland.
The other marathon runner is Fiona Macfarlane, Health Promotion Officer, who secured a charity place in the London event. Accepted to run for Phab kids, she pledged to raise £1,650. Fiona almost doubled her target and donated £2,860 to Phab Kids and £350 to Falkirk Autistic Bairns. She said: “It took 15 minutes to get over the start line with the thousands of runners in front of me. The crowds on the course were amazing and it was emotional running past with people shouting your name and encouraging you.
“The Cutty Sark and Tower Bridge are known for the mass volume of spectators and the wall of sound hits you as you make your way. Turning into the Mall with the finishing line in sight was the best feeling, knowing that in a few hundred yards I would have completed my first marathon. I finished in 4:13:49 with only a small blister and some aching legs!”
