A Redditch charity runner is aiming to complete his first ever marathon at the age of 63 and raise money for his three favourite charities.
Bernard Sugden only took up distance running seven years ago and is now putting in the last few training miles before his ultimate challenge, the Manchester Marathon on April 19th.
“I wanted to run a marathon before I was 64 – it's a bit of a Beatles thing!” he said.
One of the beneficiaries of his 26.2 mile test is Bromsgrove & Redditch Welcome Refugees, a charity where Bernard volunteers.
“The charity does really good work. I love the fact that they help refugees set up their new lives in the area,” he said.
“The whole idea is to support people getting on their feet and to help them throughout the process.”
He also highlighted English lessons, social events and signposting provided by the charity.
Bernard, who’s a retired Nokia sales director, chose the Manchester Marathon after a close friend died during a heart operation in 2021.
At the wake, the man’s daughter and her friend said they would tackle the marathon in his honour. “I wasn’t ready back then but now that I am, it had to be Manchester,” Bernard explained. “And I also wanted to raise money for the British Heart Foundation as well as Prostate Cancer UK, another of my favourite charities.”
Bernard has Just Giving pages for all three charities. Here’s the link if you would like to sponsor him:
