HEADING TO LONDON 2026 AND SUPPORTING THE BACKCARE CHARITY

Mary Keane from Edinburgh first signed up to run the London Marathon for the BackCare charity in 2019.  First Covid and then a number of injuries have prevented her from doing so. Now she is back and raring to go in the 2026 event. Follow her progress as she trains and fundraises for this very deserving charity. More episodes to come soon.

You can support Mary by making a donation on her fundraising page here 

If you'd like to follow in Mary footsteps and run your next event for Backcare, email Denice [e-mail]. She'd love to hear from you.

To find out more about Backcare head to https://backcare.org.uk

For more podcasts head to https://www.sapphirerunningzone.com/podcasts. We have four channels, one on training support, another on fundraising, a third on runner stories and a fourth on events. If you'd to be the focus on one just let us know using the chat function on the homepage.

PODCAST NOTES

Keywords   London Marathon, Back Care, running, training, fundraising, community support, marathon preparation, personal stories, health awareness, charity events   Summary   In this episode of the Sapphire Running Zone podcast, Tim speaks with Mary from Edinburgh, who is preparing to run the 2026 London Marathon for Back Care UK. Mary shares her journey of overcoming injuries and her determination to achieve her marathon goal. The conversation delves into her training regimen, the importance of community support, and innovative fundraising strategies to raise awareness for back pain and the charity's mission.   Takeaways

• Mary has been rolling over her charity place for the London Marathon for several years due to injuries.
• She chose Back Care UK as her charity because of her personal experiences with back pain.
• Mary is currently training to run consistently 5k and is signed up for the Great North Run.
• The importance of gradually increasing mileage in training to avoid injuries is emphasized.
• Edinburgh offers a variety of terrains for training, which helps keep running fresh and engaging.
• Mary has participated in international races, which provide motivation and a change of scenery.
• Fundraising can be enhanced through community events like pub quizzes and raffles.
• Early planning for fundraising is crucial to avoid competition with other events later in the year.
• Personal connections to the cause can significantly boost fundraising efforts.
• Mary is optimistic about regaining her enjoyment of running and achieving her marathon goal.

  Sound Bites

• "It's nice to mix it up"
• "It's about giving back"
• "You will get that runner's high again"

Chapters   00:00 Mary's Journey to the London Marathon 06:28 Training and Preparation for the Marathon 12:49 Fundraising Strategies and Community Support