Crossing the line
Every year more than 30,000 runners line up for the start of the London Marathon. While some are elite athletes, most are enthusiastic amateurs thrilled just to be there – and perhaps dreaming of a 'personal best' time. Stephen King catches up with the local runners aiming to make it over the finish line this year – and raise some money for charity along the way...
ON 23 APRIL the London Marathon will return and runners from all around the world will travel to the city, a handful of whom will be representing Guernsey.
One of those islanders will be Mike Collins, a property specialist who has been running for about five years, and has been trying to enter the London Marathon along with his running friend, Christian Bellis, for the last four.
Mike has run five half-marathons in the past and has now been offered a charity place in the LM to run for the National Autistic Society, a charity he said he was close to as his son has Asperger's.
'I was lucky enough to be offered a charity place,' he said.
'Training consists of two weekday short runs after work, with longer weekend runs.
'These are now up to 21 miles, which I completed on 4 March, the longest I have ever run.'
Mike added he intended to increase his runs to around 24 miles before tapering off his training in April.
He is not aiming for a specific time, but would like to come in around the four-hour mark.
