A PAIR of marathon runners were left overwhelmed by the support of the community after a successful evening of fundraising.
Lisa Oldman and Andrew Hollock, both of Colchester, are gearing up to run the London Marathon to raise money for Heart UK, the country’s only cholesterol charity.
The pair became friends after meeting at the Running Colchester running club and are taking on their training and fundraising together after both agreeing to represent the same charity.
It holds a special place in both of their hearts as both runners have family members who suffer from high cholesterol, and Andrew sadly lost his dad to a stroke – which can be caused by raised cholesterol.
A bumper fundraising evening at The Castle Inn, in High Street, drew in £1,400 – bringing their total above £3,000.
About 100 people turned up to support the fundraiser, which included a quiz and a raffle with at least 30 prizes which were all donated by local businesses including Romano Lounge and the Perrywood garden centre.
This will be the first time Lisa, who works in retail operations, has raced over the marathon distance, though the keen runner who got back into the sport in 2019 ran 45 miles during an ultramarathon in August.
The 47-year-old said: “Training with Andrew has made things a million times easier. He is a run leader with Running Colchester so is more knowledgeable than me on the best things to do.
“Because we’re good friends it’s a lot easier as we trust we can get through it together, especially on the long runs.”
Andrew, 51, is no stranger to the distance, with his marathon appearances being in the double digits.
Lisa, who admits she is “excited and emotional” to take on the iconic 26.2-mile race on April 21 next year, added: “We were nervous about the fundraising because we really believe in the charity and want to do them justice but because me and Andrew are quite similar in how we work we’re getting on really well.
“It’s been just as much fun as the running.”
To support Lisa and Andrew, visit tinyurl.com/5ee3rbrz.
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