Robin Barnwell

Date:

April 2012

Fundraising challenge:

London Marathon 2012.

How much did you raise:

£1,450 (as my company matches donations up to £500)

What motivated you to do this challenge?:

I have run half-marathons and wanted to step-up to a full marathon. I spent a half-year training hard and was well prepared with a target time of 4:15 but finished in 4:34. If you're considering running London my tips are as follows. I set my target time based on my home training course not on the London course, it was tougher course. I would suggest adding 10 minutes to your target time to be sure.

There are thousands of runners with you pushing past and stopping in front of you. You spend 26 miles ducking left & right and speeding up & slowing down. It's really difficult to get any running rhythm. Try training for this by constantly changing your running speed and doing some cross-country.

Why did you choose to raise money for War Child?:

I've always collected for charities that look to help the most vulnerable people in society. Hearing about the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the BBC Radio 4 Today program defined who I should collect for and War Child was the obvious choice.