A surprise virtual Edinburgh Marathon!

Tanya and Tom

A surprise virtual Edinburgh Marathon taking place on 26th September 2021, raising money for CrossReach, by Tanya Anderson


Regular marathon runners get into a routine, some running the same races every year. It’s great to plan ahead, right? One marathon runner I’ve known since 2002, is the most planned, dedicated runner I’ve ever met.   

Meet Tom. Tom has been running marathons for over 2 decades. His regular annual marathons being London and the Great North Run, quickly joined by Edinburgh in 2007 when I moved here. Tom and I don’t run together, but we’ve always ensured we see each other after the event to say well done, and usually a well-deserved ‘cheers!’

His dedication and passion for running are unique.  

Tom is on the Autistic Spectrum. His two biggest passions are railways and marathon running, and above all, raising money for good causes. When Tom has an event in the diary, it must happen. Why wouldn’t it! Why would a capital city cancel a marathon?  

In 2020 when the news said that the London Marathon was postponed, then Edinburgh, then the Great North Run, we all kept encouraging Tom, saying that this would allow him extra time to train and prepare. September arrived and as you’ve already guessed, all the races were postponed again, ‘until further notice.’

When Tom finished the Edinburgh Marathon 2019, his first promise over dinner was that he’d raise money for CrossReach in 2020. He’s never forgotten that.  

Bring on the Edinburgh Marathon, 2021!
I didn’t get much notice to prepare, but luckily it just happens that I finished a half marathon as part of the Aberfeldy Triathlon a few weeks ago, so I should manage the 42 kilometres in a few weeks! Tom and I are also going to do the exact routine we do for every marathon, which is as follows:


Saturday, 25th September: A.M. Tom arrives by Train from London; P.M. Tom and John (Tom’s dad) join us at home for a pre-marathon pasta supper
Sunday, 26th September: A.M. Tom, John and I meet at the starting line (we are going to run the exact route!), and this time I’m running with Tom the whole way; P.M. Order a curry take-away and Tom has already promised that he will bring the champagne!

If you would like to support Tom, please visit the Just Giving page.

 

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