Don’t think about the last mile of a marathon.

Think about the eighteenth mile.

Your body is in agony. You’ve already been running for hours.

You’ve got ten miles to go.

Could you do it? Could you keep going?

…

At United Response we recognise just how demanding a marathon can be.

In 2023 we were very lucky and proud to have a team of wonderful runners, who worked together to raise over £30,000 for the people we support. Each pound they raised will help us ensure that people with learning disabilities, mental and physical support needs have the opportunity to live their lives to the full.

We sat down with two of #TeamUnitedResponse, one runner at the start of their marathon journey and one on their twentieth United Response marathon, to ask them about their experiences.

Alan – the first-time marathon runner

You might remember we interviewed Alan back in March, when he was in the middle of his training.

Alan connected with the mission of United Response, as someone close to him has schizophrenia and his mum worked as a nurse for people with learning disabilities and autistic people.

Alan’s longest training run was 30km – a marathon is just over 42km, so he knew he had a fight on his hands on the day:

I just had to go on faith. The last 12km was a bit of a battle. I hit what I thought was going to be a wall at around 34km.

A picture of Alan running towards the finishing line of the London Marathon.
Picture from sportograf.com

Alan loved the festival atmosphere of the London Marathon, and was deservedly proud of his achievement. He explained to us:

Throughout the whole route there was such an amazing atmosphere…I hadn’t seen London like that before, it was just overwhelmingly amazing.

I think it only hit me once I got my medal and I was just walking around and looking at everyone else… I just thought ‘wow, we’ve all done it, I can’t believe it’.

Two pictures side by side. One is of Alan holding his medal. The other picture is of Alan with his parents.

Kate – the multiple marathon runner

Kate has run over 100 marathons. She ran her first for United Response back in 2004. The London Marathon was her twentieth run supporting us and we couldn’t be prouder of her amazing achievements!

Kate connects with United Response’s ethos, because her brother-in-law has learning disabilities and mental health needs:

What an amazing charity. It’s absolutely fantastic.

Remembering her first marathon, Kate said she was nervous, but it was all worth it!

The elation when I got to the finish line was just absolutely amazing. I kept focused all the way through. I thought ‘I’m doing this for my brother-in-law’.

Nineteen years later, running the 2023 London Marathon, Kate found herself being recognised!

Other runners were patting me on the back, saying ‘you’re an absolute legend, we’ve seen you in other places’.

Kate had a knee replacement in 2016 and a surgeon told her she wouldn’t be doing any more marathons. Now over a hundred marathons down, and 80 marathons post knee operation, Kate has definitely proven them wrong!

A picture of Kate at the finishing line with Buckingham Palace in the background.

To finish our London Marathon 2023 celebrations, we asked Kate and Alan to sum up their experience in three words:  

Electric, fun, fantastic!

Kate

Overwhelming, heart warming, incredible! Everything I thought it would be and more.

Alan

Thank you to every single one of our incredible marathon runners.

Thank you for every single training run in the rain, every single bake sale and pub quiz, and every single mile you ran for us. We can’t say how much it means.

Do you want to do something incredible in 2024? Contact Fundraising@unitedresponse.org.uk for more information about the 2024 London Marathon. Check out our other challenge events here.

  • Ali Mills is Communications and Engagement Officer for United Response