Stu completed the London Marathon last Sunday to raise an incredible £815.80 for Festival of Nature activities across the summer. We caught up with a very exhausted Stu to see how it went…
“I did it, and literally every part of my body aches – but it’s done! A HUGE thank you to everyone who sponsored me I couldn’t have done it without your support! £815.80 is quite simply amazing.
RUNNING IN THIS WAS NOT AN OPTION IN 24 DEGREE HEAT
In the weeks running up to the race I had planned to run in a fantastic hedgehog costume, lent to me by Avon Wildlife Trust. However, due to the weather warnings the Marathon organisers strongly urged people to not run in costume and I’m super glad they did! The heat was intense, none of my training leading up to the day had prepared me for running in 24C heat.
The race started fine, and it was great seeing the sites of London and running over Tower Bridge, and through canary wharf was incredible. Another highlight included bumping into a runner from the Natural History Museum and over taking him (an omen for how we’re going to beat London during City Nature Challenge this weekend?). However, I hit a “wall” by mile 9, and every mile from that point on was pure agony, with my feet and legs nearly giving up 5 or 6 times.
I WAS STUCK BEHIND THIS GUY FOR 5 MILES. I COULDN’T THINK OF WHERE I HAD SEEN HIM BEFORE, BUT HIS NAME RANG A BELL…
Somehow I made it to the end of mile 26, and crossed the finish line pretty broken! Since Sunday I have vouched to various friends and family members that I am never doing a marathon again – and to anyone who knows me, please use this paragraph as proof if I ever start to have ideas.
I would say it’s time for a beer and to relax, but this weekend the true challenge starts as we take on 64 other cities around the world in the City Nature Challenge! That beer will have to wait after we win the big race”
Festival of Nature helps residents of Bristol and Bath to engage with the natural world through fun, educational and most importantly free activities which are designed to get people to think and act for the natural world around them. Each year 20,000 people benefit from the amazing educational activities of the Festival of Nature which empower people to better understand how nature impacts our lives, health, and wellbeing.
