Ngondonga family, Leroy and me
On Sunday 19th March 2017, over 15,000 runners will put on their trainers and head onto the roads of Reading. At the same time many thousands of local people will line the streets and cheer the runners on, willing them to complete the 13.1 mile Half Marathon course and cross the finish line in the Madjeski Stadium.
Every runner will have their own reasons to run. For some it is to get a new personal best time, others will just hope to get round. Some will be hoping to raise money for charity and for others it is about enjoying the experience.
For me the Reading Half Marathon means donning a fancy dress outfit and running round with a collection bucket raising money to help support the education of children in Zimbabwe through Creating Better Futures. Not only do I love running for a great cause, but I also love the experience. From the interaction with the fantastic crowds to the various stations where bands, DJ’s and cheerleaders perform to the camaraderie with other runners.
Creating Better Futures has been blessed over the years with a wide range of runners who chose to join Team CBF and who have collectively raised over £5,000 towards our work in Zimbabwe.
Leroy and Debra
- In 2013, Dorothy ran round in a tutu and was joined by Kat La Fontaine and the lightning fast Matt Young.
- In 2014, Dorothy and I made it round in a twosie (a two person onesie), along with Kat, Caroline Tsvigu, Doreen Dube and Taguma Ngondonga.
- In 2015, Taguma persuaded his wife Debra to run her first half marathon and after training hard she conquered the course ably assisted by Leroy Mutanhaurwa.
- In 2016 Debra and Taguma were joined by their three children Nyasha, Mayfield and Mayfair to make it a family affair, along with Leroy and me as Super Mario.
This year, Charity Mlambo will be joining me on Team CBF and we would love to have more runners! So if you have already have a place at the Reading Half then it is really easy to set up a Just Giving page and if you don’t have a place there are still places available until midnight on Tuesday 21st February.
Dorothy and Me in our ‘twosie’
If you are up for the challenge, but March is too soon, how about joining Team CBF for the Royal Berkshire 10K on Sunday 21st May. Dorothy and our 7 year old daughter, Jasmine, are already signed up to run the mini marathon. Jasmine is keen to get round in a good time and has started her training in earnest, joining me for a 30 minute jog on a cold Sunday afternoon.
Finally, if all this talk of running is not for you please sponsor us! Your donation will not only make a real difference in Zimbabwe, where £1 feeds one child for a month, but it also help us runners to get round the course. And if you are wondering what my fancy dress costume is this year, you will have to check out my fundraising page to find out 🙂
