Our Marathon Heroes

We wanted to feature some incredible people running the Marathon this year for some amazing charities, read their stories below and don't forget to check out their sponsorship pages to donate!

NAME: 
Beth Mullan-Feroze

AGE:
29

MARATHON EXPERIENCE:
London marathon - my very first one.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRAINING: 
I have osteoarthritis in my hips so I had to think long and hard about whether my body could cope with marathon training. When I decided to do it I knew I needed help and I had to do it properly, so I got a running coach, which was 100% the best decision. He has done a complete training plan for me and tells me how far to run and the intensity etc. I also have a weekly strength and conditioning session with him. It has taken a lot of the stress out of training because I know I am in safe hands and I can not believe how much stronger I feel. I normally run 5 times a week including one short run to my strength training, two medium runs, a shake out weekend run and a longgggg Sunday run.

HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOURSELF:
It has not been easy, it has probably been one of the most challenging things I have ever done, but once I got into the swing of training, I quickly got a bit obsessed. I find that having a training plan really works because I hate the idea of ticking the "not completed" on any of my sessions. The fact that I am doing it for a charity I really care about helps as well. If I am ever lacking motivation I think about the women that all of the donations will help and it all gets put in perspective.

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLAYLIST:
I have done a sponsored playlist so people can pick any song they like and I have no choice but to have it......so its quite a mix, some examples are: How far I will go - Moana, barbie girl - Aqua, I just can't wait to be King - Lion King and one of the TEN Bowie songs my mum has added, Heroes [which I am hoping with be my finish song].

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHARITY:
Ashiana Sheffield are a charity that my aunt works for and they do absolutely amazing work. They support and empower women from the Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee communities, whose lives have been affected by violence and abuse. These include women who have been victims of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, honour based violence, human trafficking and child exploitation. I work in the same sector and I see first hand the difference that having the support from an organisation like Ashiana can have on a vulnerable women's life. In terms of where the money goes:
£10 helps a woman travel to a health care appointment
£20 buys essential sanitary items for a woman fleeing abuse
£50 pays for 2 counselling therapy sessions
£100 pays for one woman to stay in our refuge accommodation for one week with substance payments for food and clothing.
Amazingly, in 2017 Ashiana supported 727 men and women plus their children escape violence, abuse and modern slavery.

SPONSORSHIP PAGE:
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BethMullanFeroze

NAME: 
Emma Johansen

AGE: 
36

MARATHON EXPERIENCE:
I'm running the Virgin London marathon for a second time, having also run in 2017.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRAINING: 
I'm nearing the end of a 16-week plan which consists of running 3-4x / week, and some strength work i.e. pilates, once a week. Run-wise training consists of a long-run, some speed work and hills, all of which gradually increase in intensity over time and then ease-off in the run up to the big day.

HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOURSELF:
There are plenty of people on Instagram who offer both inspiration & support, and it REALLY helps keeps me going! Primary motivators however are staying true to why I'm doing this - to better myself/last year's performance, as well as raise some money to help those less fortunate than me.

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLAYLIST:
Don't judge me on my playlist as the kind of music I listen to on a long run is not (always!) typical of my music taste. The rules are if it's upbeat, makes me smile or has a big drop, it's on. Think everything from Disney (Lion King) & pop (NSYNC) through to the likes of Tiesto.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHARITY:
I'm running for RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) following an incident a few years ago that left me without vision in one eye for an afternoon. Whilst I can't compare to someone who lives without vision permanently, it was an experience that left me with a lot of empathy towards those who do.

SPONSORSHIP PAGE: 
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/emmajohansen

NAME:
Michael Crombie

AGE: 
30

MARATHON EXPERIENCE:
This London Marathon will be my first (and possibly only!).

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRAINING: 
I've been trying to follow a plan that I found on MarathonRookie.com. I was trying to do this whilst also playing 11-a-side football every Saturday but I soon stopped playing football as I found it difficult to do both and I got a knee injury, which meant I lost out on 3 weeks of training. I had just managed to get back on track over the last few weeks before my knee injury has come back. I'm now hoping it will heal up quickly enough to get another long run under my belt before the big day.
To try and minimise the impact on my knee, I've been doing my shorter run sessions in the gym on the X-trainer. But nothing beats getting out in the fresh air on a Saturday morning (as long as there's not snow!). I've also replaced my usual weights routine with body-weight and core exercises.

HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOURSELF:
All the people who have sponsored me. I've been blown away by the generosity of my friends and family and now I really want to do this almost as a "thank you" to them.

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLAYLIST:
When I'm on the X-trainer, I tend to listen to a podcast, called "My Dad wrote a porno". It's really funny and makes the time fly by. When I'm out running, I prefer to listen to music. There is a Nike Running playlist on Spotify, called "Long Run". There are some really good songs on there, all with a tempo that helps with long distance pace.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHARITY: 
I'm raising money for Hospice UK who work with various hospices to help improve quality of care for people with life-limiting and terminally ill conditions.

SPONSORSHIP PAGE: 
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MichaelCrombie2

NAME: 
Suzie Aries

AGE: 
26

MARATHON EXPERIENCE:
London Marathon. First time!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRAINING: 
Reach 10 miles by Boxing Day then add a mile each week.

HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOURSELF:
I had cancer last year so NEED to achieve something positive this year!

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLAYLIST:
The CROWD!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHARITY:
The little princess trust make real hair wigs for children with cancer or other illness.

SPONSORSHIP PAGE: 
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SuzieAries

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