Congratulations to the 12,700 people who took part in last Sunday’s Bath Half Marathon. In glorious conditions, runners took to the city streets, raising a phenomenal amount for local charities, such as Coleford charity, Time is Precious and the Forever Friends Appeal, which is raising vital funds for a new Cancer Centre for the area.
Time is Precious are hoping to beat last year’s £16,000 raised, with a record number of runners taking part in this year’s race in aid of the charity. The Forever Friends Appeal will be benefiting from over £10,000 from one local runner alone, thanks to the amazing feat of CFH’s Dave Broadway, who has made an amazing recovery after a serious
cycling accident. Westfield’s Marathon Man, John Reynolds, took part in a phenomenal 186-mile run, beginning on Friday and completing fourteen consecutive Half Marathons in 2.5 days, existing on only forty minutes sleep each night. He then ran from his home, joined by Lee Green, from Westfield, Jim Barron, from Holcombe, and Pat Challis, from Wells, to the start line of the Bath Half, to then run the race with the team members from Time is Precious, many of whom he has been training since September. After the race, he ran back home to Westfield!
Jim Barron is already well known to Time is Precious, having raised money for the charity as part of the 10Kx365 initiative, set up by local runner, Jim Plunkett-Cole. Westfield resident, Lee Green, had had to pull out of the Bath Half due to health issues, but after seeing that John was running fourteen Half Marathons, he decided to run in with him in support. On arriving in Bath, he was offered a last minute place in the Half Marathon and then ran back home with John, having completed 35.5 unexpected miles! Pat Challis also ran to Bath with John, despite currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She said: “It is always an honour to run with John. Despite the fact that I’m still going through treatment, I feel better for getting out there and doing a run – but I am amazed that I managed to do so much! If you have a positive attitude, it certainly helps.”
“The whole experience was absolutely incredible, from start to finish,” says John Reynolds, reflecting on his challenge. “This time, I was just completely overwhelmed by the amount of support we have received. Everywhere we went, people were stopping their cars and asking to have their photograph taken with me – even in Bristol, people knew what I was doing or wanted to know. It couldn’t have been better. On the way home to Westfield, I didn’t think we’d ever get back, such was the interest!
“I am so proud of the Time is Precious team, it was what made it for me. All of the
runners made it through and their team spirit was unbelievable, there was a real buzz in the marquee. You could tell when we were out there that some of them were so determined, they would have crawled over the finish line if they had to. I actually ended up doing fifteen miles during the Bath Half, due to the amount of times I went back and forth for everyone in the team to give them the support they needed.
“It feels like something is really developing now – having been around a few of the local schools, word is spreading about keeping fit and active and it is amazing to be inspiring people, young and old. I’ve also had a huge amount of interest in starting a local running group – it’s something I need to look at once all of this is over!”
John also recalls the huge amount of generosity he has received in terms of financial donations for Time is Precious, whilst he spread the word of the good work the charity does on his huge journey. He says: “We were invited to stop briefly in the Queen Vic in Priddy, where I told the landlord how far I was running. He said he
didn’t believe it and walked off. I thought he was fed up with me, but he then came back and handed me £186, £1 for every mile. Incredible! And in the Social Club in Wookey Hole they had a whip round and produced a beer glass with £70 in! It was so humbling.”
John was up at 5 a.m. and back to work on Monday morning. Due to the media attention he has been receiving, he will be taking part in a Sport Relief event in Taunton on Friday this week, to contribute to a race around the borders of Somerset, in conjunction with BBC Radio Somerset. He says the support he has received has been overwhelming. “I have around three hundred messages on my phone that I haven’t managed to look at yet – I can’t thank people enough.”
Speaking to The Journal on Monday, Nicky Halford, from Time is Precious, said that the day had been: “Absolutely amazing, and everyone got round really well and safely, which is the main thing. John stayed with the last of our runners, and kept her company – he’s such an inspiration and he’s become a really lovely friend.
“It has been such a team effort with John’s help training the TIP runners. We set up a Facebook support group, where people could share experiences and get advice, and it has really helped. The money raised will go partly towards the final cost for the Teenagers’ Chill Out Room at the RUH, and another big project which we are hoping to do in conjunction with the hospital in future. The majority of funds from the Bath Half will go to the RUH, with a couple of our Yeovil runners sending their money to projects we have there, and we also had a physio and speech therapist from Bristol running for us too, so money will go to projects there as well.”
There is still time to sponsor John by texting JOHN03 £3 to 70070, or if you feel inspired to run for Time is Precious in next year’s Bath Half Marathon, email: [email protected]
The runners were also joined by Time is Precious patrons, actor, Will Thorp, and comedian, Russell Howard and his family, some of whom were also running for breast cancer charity, CoppaFeel!
Organisers of the event are hoping that the total amount of fundraising for various charities will surpass last year’s £2.1 million raised.
The first male runner to finish was Robert Mbithi, 1:01:45 and female runner, Lenah Jerotich, 1:12:24. To view all of the race results, visit: http://bathhalf.co.uk/results