Matt Hale, Solicitor in the Military team at Hugh James successfully completed the London Marathon on the 2nd of October in aid of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.
In December 2021 I was fortunate enough to learn that I had been awarded a charity place to run the 2022 TCS London Marathon for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.
The Military Department at Hugh James, and the firm as a whole, have supported The Soldiers’ Charity for a number of years, building close ties. The Soldiers’ Charity does vital work in ensuring that soldiers, veterans and their families have lifetime access to a support system.
Some of the many areas in which The Soldiers’ Charity is committed to include employment, education and training, elderly care, housing, mobility and well-being of the Army family. Be it helping homeless veterans move into a new property, or providing re-training courses for a new career, The Soldiers’ Charity is there to help.
Fundraising
Upon accepting the charity entry place, I agreed to raise a minimum of £2,000.00 for The Soldiers’ Charity. I spent the next nine months working my way towards this target.
In addition to incredibly generous donations from colleagues, family and friends, my colleagues in the Military Department and I also organised fundraising events. These included an 11-mile hike (which was sold to attendees as a 10-mile hike) around the Merthyr area and a charity pub quiz night. I especially enjoyed being able to undertake the role of ‘Quizmaster’ for the evening!
Once I hit my fundraising target in late September, there was only one thing left to do, which was the small matter of running 26.2 miles along the streets of London.
Training
I had run several half marathons before (including two Cardiff Half Marathons fundraising for The Soldiers’ Charity) but this was to be my first ever marathon, which was an exciting and daunting prospect in equal measure.
I had considered myself a reasonably experienced runner, but I very quickly realised that training for a marathon would be a significant step up.
As 2022 progressed, I gradually built up the length of my runs to grow my confidence that I would be able to complete the challenge in practically one piece.
The London Marathon
I completed the Marathon on 2 October 2022 in a time of 4:30. The day itself was fantastic and I owe a debt of gratitude to my family and friends who supported me and trekked around London all day. In addition, the support that all runners received from the massive crowds, lining the route, made me appreciate why the race has the reputation it does and why so many runners are desperate to take part.
After finishing with what could generously be described as a sprint down the Mall, I was invited to a post-race reception at Wellington Barracks by The Soldiers’ Charity. This was the perfect way to round off an unforgettable day and I was certainly grateful for the sandwiches, refreshments and KitKats on offer!
As of 6 October 2022, I have raised £2,186.00 for The Soldiers’ Charity, which exceeded the fundraising target I was set by the charity.
I am delighted that I was able to realise one of my lifetime goals, whilst at the same time, supporting this fantastic charity.