Shropshire runners raise thousands at London Marathon
Thousands of pounds for local and national charities has been raised by Shropshire runners who joined 35,000 others to take on the London Marathon – and stand defiant against the threat of terrorism.
In glorious sunshine which bathed the capital during the race yesterday, thoughts of last week's bombing at the Boston Marathon in which three people died were evident in the black ribbons worn by the competitors and the heightened security on the streets.
North Shropshire celebrity chef Marcus Bean, who owns the New Inn in Baschurch, took part to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease. He took part alongside Mark Maddox, from Merseyside, the first man with MND to ever compete in the popular marathon. Mr Bean finished in 4.52.50.
Among the early local finishers was Marie Beddows, 42, from Priorslee in Telford, who crossed the line in 3.29.37. She ran in aid of Children with Cancer because her running partner Debbie Blakeman's daughter Darcy, four, suffers with leukaemia. Marie will also be taking part in the first Shrewsbury Marathon.
Also doubling up at Shrewsbury will be Melvyn Austin, 54, from Ellesmere, who was raising money for the bone cancer unit appeal at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital in Oswestry. He finished in 4.28.19, a few minutes ahead of wife Sue Austin, the Shropshire Star's chief reporter in Oswestry, who finished in 4.41.12.
Sue's time was 10 minutes faster than when she ran the race in 2010, said: "It was so good to see the streets of London as packed as they have always been."
Sue, Mel and friend Melanie Oulton, from Bronington, who finished in 4.22.35, raised at least £3,500 for the appeal.
Also running for the bone cancer appeal was Graham Hinton, 31, of Gobowen, who has shed 5st since taking up running three years ago. He completed the London trek in 4.41.54, while Marches School PE teacher Lucy Hillsley, also running for the appeal, finished in 4.24.48.
Newport firefighter Martin Richardson ran his fifth London Marathon for the Oswestry appeal, and finished in 5.11.03.
Telford-based Jason Lippitt, managing director of TMAT Ltd, was raising money for the British Heart Foundation as his son, Joe, 11, has a rare heart condition.
Jason asked all those sponsoring him to guess the time he would finish the marathon in - and the person closest to his finishing time of 5.40.32 will win £100 from Jason's own pocket.
Shrewsbury mum Ruth Lovett, 39, finished the race in 5.08.41 to help beat cystic fibrosis as her children Dylan and Lily have the condition, while Paul Minton, 25, from Broseley, finished in 5.03.15 to raise cash for Asthma UK in memory of his sister Kelly, who died from the condition in 1998.
