Lucy and Charlotte's London Marathon 2021. For Andy/ Andrew, 'The Andinator', 'Coach', 'AOC'.
Created by Lucy
3rd October 2021
This event has closed
Story
On the very day that Andy left us, my (Lucy's) name was drawn to run the Virgin London Marathon for the Maggies cancer support centre at St Bartholomew's hospital. It was a centre that supported us both during his treatment. It had also welcomed his mum Christine , dad Mike and sister Jennie. Running and the friends that we made through parkrun all played a huge role in Andy's life. The London Marathon day was also one of the happiest days in his sporting calendar. He had run the marathon twice, supported and encouraged me to run it twice and he worked as a volunteer on marathon day. In recent years he also arranged teams of volunteers from Dulwich parkrun for the organisers of Virgin London Marathon. In 2019, Andy's wonderful cousin Charlotte and I ran the marathon. It was tough on us all; Andy had recently completed some treatment and was due to have surgery a few days later. But he was a start line marathon volunteer and waved us off in Greenwich park and met us at the end in Horseguards. Charlotte, Andy , Charlotte's husband Chris and I spent several happy weekends together running over the years and this was a day that we cherish. When he commenced his stem cell transplant treatment last year, he had asked me to carry on running whilst he was in hospital and beyond. Because of this, I feel that he somehow had a hand in me being picked to run this years marathon. I have committed to my promise to him. And on the dark days since he died, I have carried on with this in mind. Charlotte and I have come together again and are both hoping to run this marathon for him and Uncle John. Andy and John are both loved and missed, and inspire us all every second of every day. We are also running to say thank you to Maggies at St Bartholomew's Hospital and their wonderful team. Without them and the charity's wonderful work, our journey would have been all the more difficult. Finally we are doing this crazy thing to say thank you to the many wonderful friends and family who have and are supporting us and each other during difficult times. Some of them are new friends who I have made along the way. And their dear loved ones who I feel I have come to know. The 2021 Virgin London Marathon moto is fittingly 'We Run Together'. Thank you to all. Lucy and Charlotte xxUpdates
We ran together
12th October 2021The end
THANK YOU. # We Ran Together
12th October 2021Thank you to all who have donated . Thank you to all of those who came to support ( some came hundreds of miles !) . And thank you to all of those who sat in their arm chairs with their feet up and tracked our run on line and then texted . (200 texts received on completion!). Thank you for the champagne afterwards . Thank you to those who bought tissues. Thank you to Elkie and Dulwich parkrun and Dulwich Park Runners .
Overwhelmed by the love for Andy and the support for me and Charlotte .
There was nothing more fitting for my boy than the London Marathon. It was a really emotional day but he would have absolutely loved it .
#we ran together
The Big Half
2nd September 2021Dress rehersal at Londons 'Big Half' last week. Proudly wearing the Maggies running vest that earned Lucy the name ' The Flying Satsuma'
2019 marathon
2nd September 2021Fresh as daisys at the end of the last one... ( Not )
Progress report
1st September 2021Today , Charlotte and I chatted about happy memories of the marathon in 2019. And dug out these photos...
(In hindsight the happy part was finishing!)
At the end of the 2019 marathon...
1st September 2021The end of the 2019 marathon.... looked better than i felt...
