A milestone birthday can often inspire people to tick things off their bucket list.
For Adrian Southgate, turning 40 will see him fulfil a long-held ambition to run the TCS London Marathon in aid of Livability Nash College.
Having been unsuccessful in previous ballots, this year he struck lucky and secured a place in the race, which falls on the day of his 40th birthday. “I can’t think of a better thing to do to celebrate the milestone than running past some milestones,” he joked.
Adrian is hoping to raise £1,750 in the process to support Livability Nash College, a specialist FE college for young people aged 19 to 25 with profound to moderate learning disabilities and complex needs. The college, based in Croydon Road, Hayes, focuses on developing authentic and transferable skills for adulthood through personalised learning programmes.
Adrian, who lives in West Wickham, wanted to run the marathon in support of a charity close to home, and said: “While there are many large charities that are immediately recognisable, sometimes it is the smaller charities that need the support and have a greater impact on the lives of local people.”
Adele Audin, Principal, Livability Nash College, said: “We are always in awe of supporters who commit to completing challenges like the London Marathon to support our students. We wish Adrian luck for the big day and are incredibly grateful for all he is doing to raise funds for the college.”
In preparation for his first marathon, Adrian has been clocking up the miles in training and recently completed the Goodwood Half Marathon in 1:58:14, smashing the 2 hours 10 minutes target he had set himself.
He now has London firmly in his sights and hopes to complete the famous 26.2-mile course in four hours.
You can follow Adrian’s progress and help him reach his fundraising goal at:
https://2023tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/adrian-southgate