Mark has been training since last October to support Dawn Chisholm who is to marry his lifelong friend Liam Wadeson. Dawn has Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) which currently affects her facial muscles, right arm and lower abdomen.
Day to day I struggle with simple things like reaching into shelves higher than my eye line, washing and brushing my hair and sleeping. I felt so overwhelmed when Mark told me that he was running the marathon for MDUK.
Mark has been running four times a week and is on a diet of gluten-free oats, almond milk and bananas. The London Marathon marks its 40th anniversary on Sunday, April, 26, with more than 40,000 people tackling the 26.2 miles.
I’ve just started hitting 18 miles per run, getting to 16 miles is fine, it’s definitely becoming a push.
Mark and his wife, Becca, met Dawn through Liam, and both couples are very close.
Event Project manager Jessie Keighley said
Running a marathon is a truly courageous thing to do. Before they even reach the start line and look to the 26.2 miles ahead, runners must find the determination to train through the harshest months of the year and to work hard to hit their fundraising targets. We feel proud that Mark has chosen to rise to the challenge for Muscular Dystrophy UK and to help us improve the lives of thousands of families living with muscle-wasting conditions.
You can support Mark on his fundraising page.