Wokingham man completes the London Marathon
A MAN from Wokingham raised funds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and smashed London’s Marathon.
Tommie Predgen, 24, joined
800 BHF runners in the city, to support the charity’s lifesaving research, and in memory of his best friend’s dad.
He and Will Edwards met his friend Will Edwards when Tommie was four.
Their dads, John and Paul were also best friends.
Then, in 2012 Paul died from a sudden heart attack.
Having had no previous medical issues, it was a total shock to his family and friends.
This was Tommie’s first marathon, and he ran it with Paul’s initials across his chest – PBE for Paul Barrie Edwards.
He completed the 26.2-mile course in three hours, 52 minutes, raising £2,100 in the process.
He said: “It was such a huge challenge and an incredible experience.
“The atmosphere around the course was electric and it was amazing having so many people cheering me on, it made me even more determined to cross the finish line.
“The research that the BHF does makes such a difference to the
7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases.
“I’m proud to support their work to help fund the next big scientific breakthrough.”
Andy Tribe, Events Manager at the BHF, said: “Without the dedication of our team of BHF runners and the commitment of people like Tommie, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has already broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.
“The stories of why our supporters take part never fails to amaze me and it was great to see Tommie and 800 others take on such a gruelling challenge to help save and improve lives.”
■ For information, visit: www.bhf.org.uk