Support the Legion's runners in the 2010 Virgin London Marathon

22 April 2010

This year the Legion has it's largest ever contingent running in the Virgin London Marathon. Sixty-two runners will compete in support of the nation's leading Armed Forces Charity over the famous 26 mile course. Between them they are expected to raise over £120,000 towards our welfare work.

Here are some of our supporters who are taking part. Many of them are serving in the Armed Forces or are ex-Service and have personal reasons for supporting us.

Use the links supplied to help them meet their sponsorship targets and join us on 25 April to cheer them home !

Steve Hooper	One of the two MaxRes runners, Steve is currently serving in the RAF as a Mechanical Transport Driver, based in Cyprus. Steve previously served as a battlefield ambulance driver in Basra. Steve is keen to run the marathon to raise awareness and funding for the returning troops. Support him at www.justgiving.com/steve-hooper
Adam Hornby	Adam is the second of our MaxRes runners. Having previously served in the RAF and participating in tours of duty in Kuwait and Iraq Adam was medically discharged a few years ago. Adam in running the marathon in memory of his brother Simon who was killed in Afghanistan in December last year. Support him at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/adamhornby1
Mike Buss, 35	Professional Ultra Marathon runner, Mike is ex-Army having served with the Royal Green Jackets for 10 years. After leaving the Army the Legion helped Mike re-adjust to life on Civvy Street. Mike's Marathon Challenge "starts at 1.00am on Saturday 17 April where I will run 120 miles from my hometown of Swindon to Brighton, I will arrive in Brighton just in time for the start of the Brighton marathon which I will run to the finish line, but it doesn’t stop there! I will then continue to run to London where I will arrive approx 6.00am. I will have totalled 206 miles in 53 hrs without sleep! I will then stay in London for the week in the build-up to the London Marathon which I will run to the finish line and continue straight home, another 80 miles!" The challenge will see him run a total of 312 miles - visit www.mike-buss.com for more details.
Deon Vlok, 33	Originally from Durban, South Africa, Deon has lived in the UK for 10 years. Deon has run a number of marathons and ultra marathons with the furthest being the 56 mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa, which was set up to honour fallen Comrades of WWI. The London Marathon is part of a self-styled challenge that Deon is participating in. Other races in the 'Volkkie Challenge' include the Man vs Horse race in Llanwrtyd Wells and The Devil-o-the-Highlands, 43 miles along the West Highland Way in Scotland. Support him at his BMyCharity page.
Lawrence Hill, 43	Lawrence served 22 years in the Royal Corps of Signals and retired in 2007 as a Warrant Officer Class 2. He is now working as a Field Support Representative training Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. The picture of Lawrence shows him with Ben Ross, with whom he served in Iraq, Ben was tragically killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan last year. Lawrence is a Legion member and joined to support serving and ex-members of the Armed Forces. He said "I have found that by raising money for the Legion helps me pay back the professionalism and support I received in the past from 'absent friends' who are no longer with us. This is one of the main reasons why I am running the London Marathon." Support Lawrence at www.bmycharity.com/V2/LawrenceHill
William Bowkett, 21	Will is a self-confessed ‘Army brat’ and current Officer Cadet with Oxford UOTC. He's running the marathon as he wanted to do something challenging and recognisable to raise money for the welfare of Service personnel and their families after researching ex-Service personnel in Oxford as part of his degree. Support him at www.justgiving.com/RBLmarathon
Nathaniel Mackay, 29	Having never run a marathon before or ‘even 5 miles’ Nathaniel has embarked on a what he has described as ‘a complete lifestyle change’ to run the marathon. Nathaniel is running the marathon "from an overwhelming sense of debt I believe we owe all the Service family". Support him at www.justgiving.com/natsmarathonadventure
Katie Vanston, 23	Running the London Marathon is something that Katie has wanted to do since she was a little girl. After four years of unsuccessful applications she is eventually going to get her wish. Katie says she is "very proud" to be able to say she is running for The Royal British Legion. Support her at www.justgiving.com/Katie-Vanston0
Jules Barker, 28	Jules is recently retired from the 9th/12th Royal Lancers. Having never run a marathon before Jules is hoping to complete his debut race in 3 hours 30 minutes. Support him at www.bmycharity.com/juleslondon2010
David Brown, 38	David spent 7 years in the TA and cites this as his main reason for running for the Legion. "I have been privileged to work alongside some very professional and selfless individuals - the same people who have left friends and family to go and fight on the other side of the world for what they believe is right. Not all have come home in one piece, not all have come home at all. In comparison, it is a very small thing to raise money for this cause, but it is something that I can do." Having previously run a half marathon in 1hour 45 mins, David is aiming for a sub four-hour finish. Support him at www.bmycharity.com/davebrown
Jane Carroll, 36	Jane joined the Army at 19 and trained as an Intelligence Analyst in the Intelligence Corps. She left the Army as a sergeant in 2001, but keeps her link to the military as a TA soldier. Day-to-day Jane is a police officer in Devon and Cornwall. As an active Legion member for the past four years and a keen runner, the London Marathon was an ideal event with which to combine to of her interests. Support her at www.bmycharity.com/V2/janecarroll
David Jessop, 43	David is Director of Operations & HR at Royal British Legion Industries and also Chairman of the Royal British Legion Village branch of the RBL.  Having successfully completed the marathon in 2007 David wanted to run again to raise awareness of the work of the Legion and its relevance today. David says “In my role with RBLI and also as chairman of the local Royal British Legion branch I witness every day the support and assistance the Legion gives to those from the Armed Forces community who are in need. Personally I can think of no better reason for running the London Marathon than helping The Royal British Legion keep providing its much needed welfare support to those in real need around the UK.” Support David at www.bmycharity.com/davidjessop
Mark Dixon, 26	"As a member of The Royal British Legion and as a trained caseworker for the Legion in Hull via the Goodwin partnership, I see first hand what a difference the funds generated can do for individuals and families. Every penny generated for the Legion goes to funding one of the most worthwhile charities on the globe. The assistance it provides to serving and ex-serving personnel and their dependants is second to none. Whether the funds go towards providing support in the form of immediate needs for financial issues for pensioners, or to providing help via clothing or education grants to ex-service individuals who are injured or homeless; I believe the assistance can have a very positive affect upon individuals. "I feel genuinely proud to be able to raise funds to assist those who have served for their country." Support him at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MarkDixon
John Ivens, 50	By his own admission John is "not an enthusiastic runner or a keep fit fanatic", he is "simply saddened by the tragic loss of lives and horrific injuries caused to our troops in the Afghanistan conflict". "I see my marathon effort as a way of showing support to Service personnel, by means of fundraising." Support John at his bmycharity page
Carrianne Evans, 42	Carrianne is a member of the North Ilfracome Royal British Legion branch and has grown up with the Legion as part of her life as most of her family have army connections. Having never run a marathon before Carrianne says Eddie Izzard is proving a bit of an inspiration at the moment. Support her at www.bmycharity.com/carrianne
Jonathan Tinker, 39	The London marathon will be Jonathan's second marathon after completing the Shakespeare Marathon, Stratford-upon-Avon last year. Jonathan says "I have tried to choose a charity that represents the whole of the country rather than just being active in one local area. And whilst there are many good causes I really appreciate the work The Royal British Legion is undertaking. Whatever people's views on the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan are, I think that we all owe a debt somewhere down the line past or present to the work that the people of the forces are doing. I have a lot of respect for our forces and they are doing a difficult and dangerous job and unfortunately do not seem to get the support of the Government they deserve when they return home." Support Jonathan at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JonathanTinker
Victoria Turner, 31	In training for the Marathon, Victoria has started eating things like quinoa and pearl barley given up cake and champagne. She says that without The Royal British Legion "we would not have Armistice Day, the two minute silence or such a strong tradition of remembering and appreciating the sacrifice of military service". Support Victoria at www.justgiving.com/VictoriaTurnerMarathon
Stuart Allen, 34	"My name is Stu Allen, 34, originally from Wareham in Dorset. I am a serving Major in the British Army with the Educational and Training Services. I have served all over the world including Cyprus, Kosovo, Iraq, Brunei, Falklands, Kenya and Afghanistan. I am currently at the Army's Staff College prior to taking up a position in Media Operations Plans at RAF Halton. My family and I continue to live in Camberley where I was a Platoon Commander at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst until 2009.   "This will be my second time on the London Marathon having completed it in 2007. I decided to run for the Legion in memory of Cpl John Rigby, who was killed in Basra in June 2007 on his 24th birthday. I was assigned to look after his family as their Casualty Visiting Officer during his repatriation, funeral and inquest. We have remained good friends since that time, and I was impressed with how the Legion made every effort to honour John, including unveiling a memorial to him in his hometown of Rye." Stuart will be running the Marathon dressed as a Poppy so support him at www.justgiving.com/stu-allen-London2010.
Katie O’Neill, 23	"The British Royal Legion does a valuable and important job in not only remembering and honouring those who have served to protect our nation’s security but supports those who continue to do so. With the daily news from the war in Afghanistan ongoing I feel it is important to show my support of the serving Service men and women risking their lives to help others. It is also important to support their families and loved ones in left behind. I think that its important to show this support whether you agree with the war or not." Support Katie at www.justgiving.com/Katie-O-Neill0
Duncan Barron, 41	The London Marathon is the second major event that Duncan has participated in for the Legion in the past 12 months. His previous involvement was as one of Antony Gormley’s human statues on the '4th Plinth' installation in Trafalgar Square last August. He explains his support of the Legion as follows: "A few years ago I had the privilege of interviewing very many older war veterans (of both the Korean War and WWII) and talking to them had quite a profound impact on me. It’s hard to put into words but hearing first hand just how important Remembrance is to our veterans was truly eye opening and humbling. That they were so willing to talk about their war experiences and feelings on Remembrance gave me a connection with them and their stories and cemented in me the importance of continuing to stand alongside them to remember both what they went through and their comrades that 'did not return'."
Mark Harris, 37	Mark served with the Royal Navy from 1989-1994. After leaving the services, Mark got into some financial difficulties whilst at university which left him on the verge of having to drop out of his course, the Legion assessed his issues and helped him out, allowing him to complete his course and therefore his qualification. Mark admits he never considered the work of the Legion whilst he was serving and it was only later he realised the scale and scope of the work the Legion do. Support him at www.justgiving.com/monkey-harris
Phil Packer	Phil suffered severe spinal cord injuries while serving in Iraq and is preparing to do the London Marathon in 26 hours to raise cash for 26 charities including the Legion. The fearless fundraiser, who last year took on a channel row, a climb up El Capitan mountain and the 2009 London Marathon to raise more than £1.3 million for Help for Heroes, will start the marathon on 10.00am on April 25 and aim to finish at midday on April 26.  Read more about his challenge at www.philpacker.com.

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