If you have tuned into our social feeds over the last six months, you might have noticed that Richard Rainger, MST at Pirtek Hull, set himself the challenge of raising over 2k for charity by taking part in the 2022 London Marathon.
We’re delighted to say that all his hard work and efforts paid off! On October 2nd, 2022, Richard not only completed the 26.2-mile journey around London in a fantastic time of 5:26:17 but smashed his fundraising target raising a total of £2200 for Shelter.
Shelter is a charity who believe a home is a human right and its campaign is centred around housing justice. It provides services to people who are experiencing housing issues and homelessness and carries out ground-breaking research to understand the housing emergency, developing policies to solve them.
We recently spoke to Richard about how he felt after competing this momentous achievement.
Can you briefly sum up how you felt when you crossed the finish line?
I felt everything! Delight that I had made it; proud at what I had achieved; and, I also had a little cry for about 15 seconds after I crossed the line as the whole emotion of the training, fundraising and the scale of the event got to me.
What was your go-to food after completing it?
I just had a bowl of chips. I couldn’t face anything substantial. Although my wife kindly got a pizza delivered for me once I arrived home which I demolished.
What advice would you give to someone training for a marathon?
Mindset. You’ve got to be focused and strict in your training and stick to a plan on the day but enjoy every second of the event – it’s a beautiful moment when you realise your achievement once you cross that finish line.
And would you do it again?
The first two days after the marathon I claimed it was my one and only time. A week post-event, I changed my mind as I now want to beat my time – so bring it on!
To find out about Shelter and the support they provide, you can visit the website here.
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