Big-hearted Rotherham runners raise £20k for charity at London Marathon

ROTHERHAM’S fabulous fun runners were left feeling just capital — but exhausted — after conquering the London Marathon.

More than 48,000 pounded the streets past Cutty Sark and over Tower Bridge before finishing up in Westminster, raising millions for charity.

And big-hearted entrants from the borough were among those making it safely round the course in aid of a clutch of good causes.

While half-marathon veteran Alex Reed, who ran in honour of his mum, said he had no idea how people caught the bug for going the distance, nursery manager Lisa Cartledge said she “would do it again in a heartbeat”.

Speaking after getting round in 5 hours, 23 minutes, Alex, of Treeton, said: “I am hobbling around like I’ve been to battle.

“I am so happy they have done this and it’s great to raise so much for charity but those people who go around and say they have got a bug for it, I don’t see where they get that from.

“I’m happy I’ve done it — but never again!”

Alex said a knee problem had forced him to decide to combine walking and running the marathon, which meant he had the chance to speak to fellow runners.

“I was talking to some people as I was walking round and that added to the experience a bit more,” he said.

“I’ve done a few half-marathons and the experience is always so great as so many people come out but London was just something else — for the whole 26 miles there was always somebody at the roadside cheering and there are so many landmarks you run past.”

Alex was running in memory of his mum Jeanette Read, who was cared for by Rotherham Hospice before her death in 2015.

“The team there are just amazing and made everyone feel so comfortable,” he said.

“It’s an amazing place.”

Lisa Cartledge, who owns two nurseries, Kiddywinks and Bright Skies in Dinnington, joined mum Lynn Biggin in 2019 to run the Sheffield Half-Marathon — and went one better on Sunday when she took on the 26.2-mile capital challenge on Sunday for Jessops, the maternity unit for Sheffield.

Lisa (42) said she had signed up for the run after a colleague, Caley Flynn, had a premature baby at Jessops.

Caley’s baby Alec needed ventilation and spent time in intensive care after being born last August, and was later discovered to have a heart condition, which required surgery.

Lisa, of Thorpe Hesley, got round in 04:41:52 — well under her target of under five hours.

She was supported on the day by her husband, two sons and a cheer squad of family and friends.

“It was absolutely brilliant,” said the proud runner, who raised £1,300 for the hospital ward. “I’m a bit sore now but the atmosphere was out of this world.

“The support was amazing.

“I’m really pleased, especially as I’ve never done a marathon before.

“I’d love to do it again — I’d do it again in a heartbeat!”

You can make a donation to Lisa’s appeal page at gofundme.com/f/prematurity-awareness-for-jessops-neonatal-unit and support Alex at justgiving.com/fundraising/alex-reed6.

Fundraising site justgiving.com said a further ten runners from Rotherham had raised £20,000 between them.

They included:

• James Ryder, who raised £948 for diabetes charity JDRF.
• Police officer Jason Butcher, whose £781 will support police treatment centres.
• Jason Hopkinson, who ran for Ronald McDonald House Charities, described himself as “the slowest marathon runner ever” and collected £3,065 in sponsorship.
• Jessica Durrans, who is backing the NSPCC.
• Daniel Burkinshaw, who raised more than £2,700 for brain injury charity Headway.
• Len and Kiran Richards, whose £2,000+ sponsorship will go to Macmillan.
• Cheryl Keeble, who ran for Marie Curie in memory of her dad.
• Scott Richardson, who backed the Mental Health Foundation
• Rachael Frost, who ran for Tommy’s to support parents who have suffered miscarriages.