Supported by the generous donations of fellow Towergate staff, friends, family and local businesses, and together with the matching of the Towergate Charitable Foundation, Noel has helped raise nearly £3,000 in sponsorship for the Hospices.

In the last 5 or 6 miles from Canary Wharf (having been fighting cramp from some five or so miles) it is from that point onwards where you really start to see the willpower of others to keep steadily going to get gradually ever closer. I remember the last mile indicator approaching Westminster and trying so hard to pick up and squeeze any available effort out left in the legs.

The last ½ km along Bridcage Walk and round the Memorial to the Mall really is an experience as the crowd applaud and cheer on the runners through your last pushes of adrenalin towards the finish ahead. The capability to pick up any sort of speed towards it had gone for me but boy was it a great feeling to cross that line. You then ponder just how you have been moving continuously for some 5 hours !”

I am very grateful to the Pilgrims Hospices to have been chosen as one of their gold bond runners. They have to raise approximately £6.5 million a year and without the help given through fundraising and volunteer services they simply cannot provide the valuable in-patient and out-patient care, day hospice care and support and advice to those patients and their families who critically need it throughout the community across east Kent, and do this completely free of charge.

Also taking part and running for the Pilgrims Hospices was John O’Leary, the husband of TRSW Managing Director Sue O’Leary, who finished in an impressive time of 4 hours. Both John and Noel look forward to making a cheque presentation to the Hospices in the very near future once all monies have been collected. Both have also entered the Ballot draw for 2011 !