Nothing – not even a bomb threat – will stop Luton’s intrepid charity fun runners from taking part in this Sunday’s London Marathon.
The Herald&Post spoke to three who are utterly determined to finish the course in spite of the grim scenes in Boston on Monday when a terrorist bomb killed three and left 100 injured.
Stopsley mum Tara Armstrong, 40, has been a dedicated fundraiser for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research since her son Finlay was diagnosed with leukaemia three years ago when he was only three.
She said: “We’ll be wearing black ribbons as a mark of respect for the Boston victims. But it won’t stop us, or our supporters.” More than 33 family members and friends are accompanying Tara and her close friend and running buddy Gail Clements-Browne to the capital.
The mother-of-two from Ravenbank Road said: “We’ve already raised £8,000 and hope more people will donate at www.justgiving.com/finlaythebrave.”
Luton fashion designer Pauline Robb is equally adamant that nothing as contemptible as a terrorist atrocity will deter her.
She’s a charity champion who always signs up for Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life and Relay for Life as well as Keech Hospice Care’s Santa fun run.
She dismissed the Boston bombers as “evil” and said: “I couldn’t believe that anyone could use something so special to do something so outrageous.”
She’s showing her disdain by wearing a specially designed green frog suit.
Support Pauline and Cancer Research UK by texting 70070 followed by ROBB57 and the amount in £.
Veteran marathon runner Dave Coard has no intention of bowing to threats either.
He and a four-strong team from Luton’s Boxfit will be running in aid of Whizz Kids, a charity for disabled children.
Dave said: “If you gave in to everything like this, you’d end up never doing anything.”
But bucking this trend is BBC Three Counties breakfast show presenter Iain Lee.
He announced on his programme this week that he won’t be going to the event with his two young sons.
“It’s not that we’re changing our plans,” he said. “We’ll probably watch it on TV.
“All acts of terrorism are horrendous. But on a day when people are running in memory of someone they’ve lost or to raise money, it’s particularly heinous.”
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