A Goole man has raised over £1,385 for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association after taking part in the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon.
Paul Brewer was one of 12,000 runners to take part in the 26.2 mile run on Sunday, May 14 which is thought to have raised over £3 million for charity. Inspired by former Leeds Rhinos captain Kevin Sinfield OBE, who has completed a number of running challenges in recent years in support of his friend and team mate Rob Burrow, the event motivated thousands of others, including Paul, to take on their own marathon challenge to raise money for a charity of their choice. An avid runner who trains with Goole Vikings, Paul has completed a number of marathons in the past but was not planning to take on another until an inspirational encounter changed his mind. He explained: “I’ve done a few marathons in the past but after my last one, two years ago, I wasn’t planning to do another. “I took part in the Leeds 10k last year and actually ran alongside Kevin and Rob for the majority of the race. Seeing first hand what they are doing really inspired me, so when I heard about the marathon I knew I had to take part.” As part of his preparations for the event, the 42-year-old trained tirelessly and also decided to give up alcohol for three months leading up to the run. Despite describing the event as “tougher than expected”, Paul managed to complete the route in just four hours 21 minutes, and celebrated with a well-earned beer. He said: “I covered hundreds of miles in training which included taking annual leave from work to squeeze in those extra runs.
“The build-up was great, and I felt 100 per cent going into it. I cramped up heavily around 16 miles and struggled to bend my leg for the remaining 10 miles but completed the course in one piece. “It was a very tough course but it was an amazing event to be part of and an absolute pleasure to represent the MND Association and raise money for such a worthwhile cause. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger and yes, I have consumed my first beer!” He added: “A big thank you to my wife Becky for all her support and to everyone who donated.” There is still time to donate to Paul’s fundraiser by visiting his Just Giving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paul-brewer7
Paul Brewer took part in the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. (18-05-127 SU)