My Marathon run by Ram Varma
In February 2008 I decided to enter for the London marathon after a friend of mine suggested I ran. However, I was too late for the draw. Considering I had already said I would run, I wanted to fulfill my promise and do a run. So I went online and found the Runners World Website. It had a list of the yearly marathons around the world and I thought Beachy Head would be very scenic. (Little realising at the time that it was the toughtest run in the UK and also the rest of Europe!!)
I entered and started to train straight away as I only had nine months to prepare. However, I was struggling to find a cause to run for, I knew I wanted to run for a charity, preferably something to do with women and children, but could not come up with anything.
Enter Chris and Roger. They came to my mother’s house with our mutual friend Kay, and showed me pictures of the school and explained the reason behind the school, Hannah. Instantly I knew this was exactly what I was looking for, and I never looked back. I ran the 27 mile hilly circuit (4500 ft ascent) thinking of Hannah and the school as I went round.
I feel priveleged to have become a trustee of the charity, and will continue to raise money for the Hannah Memorial Academy, it continues to motivate me. I am determined to help make a difference to these children’s lives and to do it for Hannah. This was the reason behind my successful attempt at running the marathon.