Chris Wheeler ran his first marathon this year
and he chose the big one for his 26-mile debut
- The Virgin London Marathon. He also chose
Keith's Rescue Dogs as the charity to benefit
and raised around £250, which he is still
collecting when not at work for a tour
company.
As one of the thousands of runners setting off
from Blackheath to finish in the Mall he found
the whole experience brilliant if extremely
tiring and next day he said he was suffering a
lot of stiffness in his back and hips - we bet he
wasn't alone in that!
Chris (67) lives in Skegness and was elated at
the atmosphere on the way round with perfect
strangers offering sweets, drinks and even
cheese sandwiches in addition to the
organisers drinks stands. This year was the
30th anniversary of the London Marathon and Chris is hoping to be there again next year - if his
entry is accepted.
He felt he needed more training but his work dictated otherwise since last Christmas and he
managed the course in 6 ½ hours with a combination of running and walking and like all others
found "the wall" at 18 miles, a point when the strength of even serious runners is sapped.
The crowds kept him going and he was impressed with the jazz bands on the Isle of Dogs - the
music along the course is a great boost to morale as was the sight of Chris's wife Ruth who
appeared at several points along the route towards Buckingham Palace and the finish line.
Chris commented that the race organisation was very good and his backpack with his clothes in
was waiting for him at the finish - not bad since there are more than 30,000 runners, and each one
got a photo at the end from the organisers.
All at Keith's Rescue Dogs would like to thank Chris for his great effort on behalf of the dogs
needing homes. Well-done Chris.
