REDDITCH stalwart Glenn Faeroy did his research before tackling the Virtual London Marathon – but nothing quite prepared him for the pounding his feet would take doing the event on October 3.
Despite that Glenn – who had never run a marathon before – gritted his teeth smiled through the pain barrier because he knew the money he raised would go towards helping the UK’s deaf community.
A week after the event he’s still using a stick to walk, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Himself a member of that community, Glenn was driven on by the certain knowledge that every penny he raised would help ease the isolation of sufferers and just maybe might save a life.
“The way the funding for the charity has been cut is appalling,” he said.
“And simple things we’ve asked for, like a signer at the Prime Minister’s press conferences have just been ignored, yet the Scottish government has them, the Welsh Assembly and in Ireland.
“I know of people who have committed suicide because of the lack of support – and that’s what drove me on, knowing that I couldn’t just pack it in because it was too hard, because other people have it much tougher.”
Glenn was running in aid of the deaf health charity SignHealth (https://signhealth.org.uk/).
“I just decided I had to do something and thought of the Virtual London Marathon and just went for it,” he said.
Glenn had never tackled a marathon before, had suffered a broken ankle the year before and took the route around Arrow Valley Park – 1.4miles a lap – at a brisk run/walk.
Starting from his home in Winyates he covered an amazing 27.3 miles in a time of five hours, 56 minutes and 53 seconds, his partner Cathy counting off the laps from the comfort of her car.
“I thought if I did any training I might get injured, but I did read up on what to eat and drink,” said Glenn.
“I paced myself at the start but by lap 14 I was struggling but just kept on going.”
Glenn has set himself a target of raising £1,700 – to help him click: here
