Charity runners prepare as London Marathon returns

A WOMAN with multiple sclerosis is to run the London Marathon for charity.

Helen Munson, 43, from Shiplake. is raising money for the Berkshire MS Therapy Centre in Reading.

She hopes to raise £1,850 in time for the 26.2-mile race on April 23.

Mrs Munson, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2016, said: “I consider myself very fortunate that I am still able to go to the gym, run and cycle so decided to set myself the challenge of running the London Marathon.

“The Berkshire MS Therapy Centre is a lifeline for many people with MS and offers a wide range of treatments to help alleviate some of the symptoms.

“I visit for oxygen treatment once a week, which I find helps with fatigue and healing.”

Mrs Munson, who will be part of a team of about six people running for the centre, has previously raised money by doing the RideLondon 100-mile bike race.

She said: “I used to be sporty and have always run, cycled and gone to the gym but I am not as fit as I would like to be because of my MS.”

She started training for the marathon after Christmas.

Mrs Munson said: “It is going quite well and I am increasing my distance.

“I was going to follow the marathon beginners’ training programme but because I was ill, I fell out of the routine so I just do my own thing.”

She also goes to the gym and has a sports massage every week to make sure her calves aren’t too tight as well as ensuring she eats healthily.

Mrs Munson said: “I have to be really careful with my training. It makes me quite tired and I get pins and needles in my feet and a lot of pain in my legs.

“It is difficult because if I do too much, it will actually set me back.”

She was diagnosed with MS after losing her speech and feeling sensations in her face akin to a stroke.

She said: “When I went to hospital, they did an MRI scan and I was diagnosed straight away. It turned out I’d had it for 20 years.

“I was in complete and utter shock. I thought I was healthy and had no idea there was anything wrong with me.

“In a way, it was nice to know that I’d had it for a long time without knowing.

“I’d had fatigue and strange sensations but nothing enough to ever see a doctor about. I am really lucky that 20 years on or more, I am still able to run and cycle. The fatigue can be quite bad when I run a lot as I get tired. I try to ignore the pains but my legs often feel strange and tight.

“Mentally, I find running good for me. It is good to be outside in the woods and river. I have always enjoyed it and really miss it if I am too ill.”

Mrs Munson first started attending the centre about six months after her diagnosis.

She said: “To begin with, I was in denial but then I got my head around it.

“I use the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, which means the body absorbs oxygen better and it helps with healing and fatigue.”

She is looking forward to the marathon where she will be cheered on by two friends and her daughter Sophie.

To make a donation, visit https://2023tcslondonmarathon.
enthuse.com/pf/helen-munson-021ec

Steve Wray has finally been allocated a place to take part in the marathon for the first time since he began applying in the Eighties.

The 55-year-old consultant from Bix said this was a “dream come true”. He said: “It gets bigger and bigger every year and more people apply. With the public ballot now there is less than a five per cent chance of getting a place. It is really difficult unless you run for a charity.”

Mr Wray will be running for the animal charity Blue Cross and has to raise at least £2,000.

He said: “I am very much an animal person — we have a cat and dog and we used to have chickens.

“I previously adopted two cats from the Blue Cross, so it was the natural choice to support.

“I have received donations from family and friends and I have linked my fundraising page to my Strava running app so people can see my progression.

“£2,000 is the minimum amount to raise in order to take part but I have raised it to £2,500 to be more ambitious. If I don’t make the money, I will pay the difference myself.”

Mr Wray has been an avid runner for more than 10 years after taking part in the Oxford half marathon.

He said: “I found it really good and was quite pleased with my time, so I thought I’d try again.

“I signed up to a few more and then thought, ‘Perhaps the time has come to do a full marathon’, so I did the Hampshire Hoppit, which is a trail marathon, five years ago.

“Since then I have done a couple of ultra-marathons and now have a bit of experience. But the London Marathon is the one race I have always wanted to do. For the last couple of years, I have run the virtual race, which was set up during the covid pandemic.

“You follow the marathon app and run the miles on race day and they give you audio cues and play the sounds of the marathon so you get a feel for what the atmosphere is like on race day.

“I ran along the towpath from Henley to Maidenhead and passed a few other virtual runners but it isn’t the same as the actual race when about 50,000 take part.”

Mr Wray is hoping to complete the race in under four and a half hours.

He said: “I am older now, so my pace isn’t what it used to be.

“I do my own training programme. Two weeks before, I am going to do 39 miles, which is the distance of an ultra marathon.

“I will take one week off to let my body recover then it’s race day.

“I run a consultancy business, so there is a bit of time pressure but I set aside Sunday mornings for all my big runs and then try get out every other day midweek.

“I am really looking forward to it. The support from the general public will be great. You have your name printed on your bib and people shout it out as you pass.

“I am a little bit nervous about hitting the wall, which normally happens at around mile 23.

“But if I complete my training programme it means I should be able to do it without stopping.”

To make a donation, visit https://2023tcslondonmarathon.
enthuse.com/pf/steve-wray

• If you are taking part in the London Marathon, let us know. Call the Henley Standard news team on (01491) 419444 or email
news@henleystandard.co.uk