Retired college lecturer Paul Breheny has raised almost £700 for LMRUK – running his second half marathon in 29 years, and in the same pair of shoes he wore the last time!
Paul, 65, chose to raise money for our charity in support of his friend Charles Montlake who is being treated for Myeloma and AL Amyloidosis, a bone marrow condition.
Paul, who insists he is not a runner, said before the start he was determined to run – not walk – the 13.1 miles of the Hackney Half Marathon on Sunday (May 18). He succeeded in his aim, completing the course in a very creditable two hours 40 minutes.
The last half marathon Paul took part in was the Great North Run in Newcastle in 1996. He put away his running shoes after that event and hadn’t taken them out again until he started training for Hackney.
“There’s a few holes in them now,” he said. But he is considering buying a new pair and may even enter other events now he’s been bitten by the running bug again.
He said his fundraiser acted partly as a thank you to friend Charles, who was diagnosed with Myeloma in December 2019 and who had been a huge support to Paul when he faced his own health challenges earlier that year, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Paul said: “I didn’t do very well for about six months and then I started to do a lot better. When I was very ill Charles and his wife, Deborah were very supportive.” Paul recovered from prostate cancer just as Charles was diagnosed with Myeloma.
Charles is himself a great fundraiser in aid of blood cancer research. He has taken part in two marathons, the first in 2020, during Covid lockdown, when he, his wife Deborah, mother Ruth, 87 at the time, and son James joined him to walk 26.2 miles on the balcony of their London home. The pandemic had forced the cancellation of the London Marathon.
To complete the second marathon Charles walked from his home to London’s O2 Arena four times – leaving home at midnight, 6am, midday and 6pm. He did each walk in the company of friends with Paul joining him on the midday walk.
Paul described taking part in the Hackney Half Marathon as a great experience. “It went as well as I had hoped,” he said. “I ran all the way. I was aiming for a time of two hours 40 minutes and I hit two hours 40 minutes.”
He said fortunately, after a hot day on Saturday, temperatures dropped for the run – the most popular half marathon in London with around 25,000 competitors. “Both sides of the road all the way to the halfway point and back were lined with people – it was a great atmosphere, very encouraging,” he said.
Paul, who lives in Hertfordshire, was cheered on by his wife, Carolyn and daughter Caitlin. She has recently moved to Hackney and the route of the half marathon took the runners along the end of her road.
Paul said his only regret was starting the marathon a bit too slowly. “I was advised to pace myself, but I ended up running the second half faster than the first,” he said. “I think if I had gone off a bit more quickly I could have shaved five minutes off my time.”
To donate to LMRUK on Paul’s behalf go to his Just Giving page online at https://www.justgiving.com/page/paul-breheny-1723375538034
