David beats the London heat in marathon run
IT WAS the hottest London Marathon on record but Lochgilphead’s David MacInnes battled through, crossing the finish line in four hours, 46 minutes.
The dad of two didn’t have an easy run, finding the heat exhausting and getting muscle cramp which no amount of stretching could relieve. He also suffered a bout of nausea following the run, but quickly recovered.
David was running in aid of Anthony Nolan, a blood cancer charity which organises stem cell donations for patients.
In January 2015, David was contacted by the charity to confirm he was a match for a man suffering from leukemia. He donated his stem cells to the patient and they have both recovered fully.
Talking about his gruelling achievement, David said he ‘dug deep and pushed on to the end’.
He said: ‘I was looking for a time of just under four hours, but the heat was just too much, even with the regular water stations. Then I cramped up and no amount of stretching would sort my muscles, so I’ll take the time I got.
‘I haven’t spoken to one runner yet who managed the time they were looking for. Everyone was at least half an hour slower than they were hoping.’
The total raised by runners taking part in the marathon in aid of the Anthony Nolan charity is £500,000 so far.
David has raised almost £5,000 for the charity, smashing his target of £1,850.
He thanked everyone who donated and made the marathon possible, saying: ‘There are too many people to thank individually, but you know who you are.
‘Thanks to my mum and dad Eva and David for having the kids but, most of all, supporting me throughout the fundraising process. And last, but most certainly not least, I need to thank my wife Hazel who has stood by me throughout all of this. From allowing me time to go and do my long runs, to helping me with various fundraising events, to being there at the start and finish line. I couldn’t have done it without you.’
The fundraising link for David’s marathon run is still live. If you would like to donate, go to justgiving. com/fundraising/david-macinnes.