Half Marathon

 

Water of Leith Half Marathon and 10k

August 6th 2006

Alan Cumming died last year following a fight against ME. , a friend of his is organising the following event to raise funds for MERGE, an ME charity. More information from Pat follows:

Yes, it's that time of year again. Time to stub out the fags, dry out, put the pies back in the fridge and dig out your running shoes, because we're off on our annual trek down the Water of Leith.

The crucial date is Sunday 6th August. Those of you who've done it before know the drill: start at Balerno (half marathon) or Gorgie Road (10K) and head down the river as fast as your little legs will carry you until you get to Giuliano's on The Shore in Leith. I'd appreciate it if you'd email me back & let me know if:

  • You intend to run this year
  • You know somebody who'd like to run but isn't on this distribution list (let me have their name & email address)
  • You've had enough of this madness & no longer want to be on the distribution list (it makes life simpler for me)

I plan to do a rekky sometime in May to check if there are any changes to the route & I'll circulate the updated route guide then. Sponsorship Here's the important bit. I don't charge any entrance fee for the event. I get a lot of support from some very kind friends who help out with water stations, putting up mile markers, medals and so forth. The rest of the costs I cover myself. In return, I ask that you all do your very best to raise as much money as possible for the nominated charity. In the past we have supported Amnesty International, Shelter, Oxfam and Children First. This year I'd like to make a change. My friend Alan Cumming fell victim to ME around 18 months ago. After a year of courageous struggle with this devastating condition, Alan chose to take his own life. It seems like such a waste. So this year, I'd like to nominate a single charity - MERGE - for our fundraising efforts. MERGE is a charity that funds research into ME. Any of you who know anyone with ME will know the terrible effect it has on the lives of those who suffer from it and on the lives of those close to them. It's a condition that is not well understood and your efforts to raise money to fund research will be greatly appreciated by many. You can find out more about MERGE on their website. I've set up a web page to make it easier for you to submit your sponsorship money directly. Although there is a 5% levy  for the use of this service, my hope is that the convenience it offers will encourage more sponsorship. You can email the following link to your friends and family and they will be able to contribute directly instead of you having to collect the money personally. So get your training shoes on & be ready for the only half marathon/10K that's downhill all the way and finishes next to a pub! I'll contact you with more detail and a route guide nearer the time. Looking forward to seeing you all on 6th August.