Thousands raised for St Luke’s hospice at Brighton Marathon

By Michael Casey

Right. I was “just behind” the Kenyans and the Ethiopians. Unfortunately, I was also “just behind” a badger, a rhino, Mr Blobby, two angry birds and a hot dog. Oh and a canoe. As well as 8,000 other souls who ran the Brighton Marathon on Sunday.

Well done to the runners who raised money for St Luke’s hospice. We featured Lisanne Attwood who was running in memory of her fiancee’s father, who was cared for at the hospice and Lisanne soon disappeared into the distance to run a very fine marathon in 5hrs 28 mins.

I would also like to say a very big thank you to St Luke’s fundraiser, Charlotte Thatcher. Charlotte does a wonderful job. She got up at 4am: drove down to Brighton. Set up a St Luke’s post. Saw all the runners away. Followed us around the course. Gave great encouragement and was a credit to the hospice.

I ran my first race in 1971. I only put in 20 training sessions and never ran further than fourteen miles in those sessions but I am an old warhorse who knows how to plot his way around a endurance task. There were many people who looked spent at five miles but boy they kept on going. How, I have no idea.

Thanks as well to Vicky Bowbrick from Chichester, who I route-marched with from 17 miles to 25 and then insisted we ran. I learned all about her nine ferrets and much more.

Thanks to all those who have sponsored me. I really appreciate it. St luke’s hospice is a great cause.

And last but certainly not least, thanks to Mrs Casey. I promise, I promise, not to put you through all that again.