Crawley worker's London Marathon debut to help award scheme

John Crabtree, who is 34, has raised over £1,200 for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the world’s leading youth achievement award, known for its life-changing work with young people.

He gained his marathon place through his employer UK Power Networks’ partnership with the charity.

The company works with DofE to give its electrical apprentices a chance to complete a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award during their training.

He said: “As a dad I’m delighted to support a charity which creates opportunities for young people to develop skills, grow in confidence and get involved in their local communities.

“My training hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. I gained my marathon place in February so needed to catch up with my training, to get in decent shape, but then I injured myself and couldn’t train for a while.

“Generally I’m in good shape now and I’m still planning to do it, but I’m not going to be as quick as I had hoped I would be. My family can’t be there, as my children are too young, but the atmosphere is meant to be incredible and I know there will be a lot of support from the crowds.

“This will be my first marathon and I don’t know what to expect. I have run 10k and 5k but a marathon is a matter of pushing yourself beyond what you feel capable of, going out of your comfort zone and achieving a difficult target. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

John’s fund raising page is here: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JohnCrabtree2