Capital effort by Rotherham marathon runners

ROTHERHAM’S awesome fund-raising fivesome were sore-footed but proud after they made it round the punishing London Marathon course.
Sarah Billard with her medalSarah Billard with her medal
Sarah Billard with her medal

Sarah Billard, Sally Deakin, Simon Colliver, Tom Walker and MP Sir Kevin Barron, who were all supporting good causes, successfully completed the 26.2 mile course on Sunday.

PE teacher Tom, from Wickersley, was the quickest Rotherham representative home, crossing the line on The Mall after three hours, 56 minutes and 35 seconds.

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Tom (below) was running for Sheffield Children’s Hospital in memory of his teenage brother Nick, who died in a road accident in 2008.

Dad of one Simon Colliver (33), was next home in four hours, 24 minutes and 53 seconds.

Simon, who has raised £1,700 in memory of tragic father and son Ryan and Tom Bothamley, who both died from heart conditions, said: “After about 18 miles I hit the wall and started to really struggle.

“But I went from the worst feeling ever to the best feeling ever when I came down The Mall and the finish line.

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“I felt fine for the first 15 miles and then after around 18-miles I just wanted to die.”

Tom, who played for Wickersley Youth Junior Football Club, died suddenly at home in July.

His death was the third tragedy to hit his um, following boyfriend Ryan’s sudden death in 2012.

Keira’s son, Joshua Donnelly, also died on Christmas Day in 2007, aged just 23 months.

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Simon (pictured below) will donate the cash he has raised to SADS UK, which Keira and Tom’s grandma Julie have been supporting since Ryan’s death.

He said: “When I was coming towards the finish line I got a bit choked up to be honest thinking about Ryan and Tom.”

Health worker Sally Deakin (32), who works for a mental health team based at the Kimberworth Place centre, got round the capital in six hours, 19 minutes and 42 seconds.

Her chosen charity was Bloodwise, which Sally (pictured below) picked in tribute to her late sister-in-law Johanna Deakin.

 

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Music teacher Sarah Billard (pictured), meanwhile, took six hours, 33 minutes and 52 seconds to complete her first ever marathon, raising almost £800 online.

She said afterwards that she had suffered a knee injury after ten miles.