Marathon running to support charities close to heart

A college lecturer who wants to give something back to charities which help young people has been going an extra mile – several in fact by running fundraising marathons.College of West Anglia programme manager and staff governor Paul Gibson started marathon running in 2017 when he completed the London Marathon to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.He said: “Following my eldest daughter’s diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma in 2016, she received amazing support from Teenage Cancer Trust and Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent).

“I wanted to give something back to the charities and help support the work that they do for young people in their care. I had run a few half marathons in the past and had just started to get back into running at my local parkrun. Taking on a marathon was the perfect opportunity to set a significant challenge to myself and raise as much money as possible.”In 2019, Paul ran the London Marathon again, supporting CLIC Sargent, and in 2021, he ran for Young Lives vs Cancer, a charity which supports children, young people and their families facing cancer.Paul is now gearing up for the York Marathon on October 20 following a personal best time at Brighton finishing in 3 hours, 24 minutes and 46 seconds. He’s also signed up for the Manchester Marathon in April, continuing his commitment to running for a cause.A JustGiving page has been set up for donations in support of Young Lives vs Cancer and Paul’s marathon journey at www.justgiving.com/page/gibboyounglivesvscancer