Runner raises £1000 for Team Jak charity

Marathon success

A Livingston runner has raised over £1000 for the Team Jak Foundation after completing his first marathon.

John McKillop ( 31) gave up smoking just two years ago in a bid to get fit and has now raised £ 1047.50 for the charity after tackling the Loch Ness Marathon last month.

John, a former amateur goalkeeper, completed the course in a little over four hours and says the gruelling training was all worth it.

He said: “It was a great experience and a real challenge. If I’m honest, I’m a wee bit gutted about the time but as it was my first marathon, I’m more just happy that I finished it.

“I spoke to plenty of people beforehand who had ran marathons and was warned about hitting the wall and just having to really push yourself through. That came on mile 18 for me. I was doing great until that point and then it was like my body almost shut down. It was really challenging and I kept having to push myself for every mile and remember why I was doing it.”

He added: “The whole atmosphere was brilliant. Most of the people running were doing it for charity so there was a team spirit of sorts because everybody wanted to cheer everyone else on.

“It was a terrific experience and despite all the aches and pains, it was definitely worth it and I’d recommend it to anyone. I’m certainly looking to do more in the future and hopefully I can smash my time in my next race.

“I spoke to Allison a lot before the race when I decided to raise funds for Team Jak and she was so supportive. I met up with her to hand over the cash and she was really appreciative of every penny raised and I know the money will be put to great use and a local cause. I’d like to thank everyone who sponsored me.”