Nilesh and Mark both signed up to the London Marathon to raise money for MQ. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the 2020 London Marathon was cancelled. However, Nilesh and Mark still took on the 26.2 mile challenge on their own and raised over £12,000 while doing so.
Nilesh: In January 2020 I turned 50 and raising money for a cause I feel strongly about felt like a worthwhile way to mark the occasion. My mother has suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and other mental health problems for as long as I can remember. I’ve spent most of my life being an on/off carer for her so mental health issues have featured prominently throughout my life.
In December 2013, my father passed away from a brain tumour. My mother and father shared a home together and she had never spent a night alone. My family and I took her on board to live with us, however, it’s not an easy situation with her depression and paranoid schizophrenia. It has deeply impacted on my own mental state and lockdown restrictions made it worse as her day centre was closed. Also as a father of teenage children, I understand the importance of young people’s mental health as I observe first-hand the pressures that teenage life can bring.
"... as a father of teenage children, I understand the importance of young people’s mental health as I observe first-hand the pressures that teenage life can bring."
Mark: I’ve personally been very lucky to have always had good mental health, however, it's something that affects many friends, family & colleagues. Closest to home is a friend I’ve known since I was five years old, who’s recently developed and been diagnosed with Schizophrenia - witnessing one of his early episodes was quite a shock. And then similarly to Nilesh, my parents have my Gran living at home with them. She suffers from Dementia and requires a lot of care and support. She can still recount quite vividly how she was evacuated during the War but has no idea what she just had for breakfast!
I believe that mental health is one of the most misunderstood areas in society and hence why I wanted to support a mental health charity. Nilesh has been a running buddy for a few years and kindly introduced me to the amazing MQ team once he knew I was interested in the Marathon.
"I believe that mental health is one of the most misunderstood areas in society and hence why I wanted to support a mental health charity."
Training
Initially, we were training for the ‘normal’ April London Marathon before it was postponed, eventually becoming the Virtual London Marathon in October. We were fortunate to have each other to run with, pushing each other when one or the other wasn’t up for a training run. We kept to a regular Saturday 5k distance with a longer Sunday run and attempted to fit in a mid-week run. We targeted some organised official races in the lead up to October, including a 20 miler around the beautiful Dorney Lake in Windsor. We enlisted some of our other running friends to join our training and enjoyed some fantastic training runs in the summer, discovering new trails and places to run.
"We were fortunate to have each other to run with, pushing each other when one or the other wasn’t up for a training run."
Fundraising
Of course, the main reason we took on the Marathon was to raise awareness and funds for MQ. The fundraising target can appear daunting at first, so we both decided to start early to avoid the worry closer to the time. Due to COVID, we were both working from home and this brought its own challenges, as the cake sales and pub quizzes that we had planned could not happen. We contacted friends, family, and colleagues for support, using Facebook, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn. People’s support was fantastic, and they could see our sincere and genuine reasons for choosing MQ to run for which helped our cause. Between us, we’ve now smashed £12,000!
"The fundraising target can appear daunting at first, so we both decided to start early to avoid the worry closer to the time."
The Big Day
Eventually, 4th October arrived. It was over a year of anticipation, so we were pumped! Our chosen route involved running along the Grand Union Canal towards Paddington Basin and back to our local park in Harrow. We started together, but due to an ongoing injury, Nilesh had to take it slowly.
We were blessed to have fantastic support from friends and family - the day really felt like an occasion! Two friends went above & beyond, offering each of us dedicated cycle support throughout. Family and friends were also on the route which meant a lot on what could have otherwise been a largely solitary experience.
"We were blessed to have fantastic support from friends and family - the day really felt like an occasion!"
Unfortunately, the weather was not so kind to us. But with amazing support and so many other ‘virtual’ Marathon runners out to wave at we soon forgot about the elements. Our finishing times were 3 hrs 12 mins (Mark) and 4 hrs 53 mins (Nilesh).
What next?
We used the weeks after the Marathon to rest up and shake off any niggles and injuries, and slowly ease our way back into training. We’ve both deferred our entries into October 2021, so fundraising and training will continue!
Inspired by Nilesh and Mark and fancy a go? We’d love for you to join Team MQ with the Virgin Money London Marathon 2023. Click below to apply for a place and we’ll be in touch soon!
