Well, it was a fantastic weekend.  Bright sun, no wind, clear skies....!

The journey down was good, and I enjoyed staying with my brother the day before the race 'to acclimatise'.

Race day saw an early rise, but it was just a short walk to the start, and it was great to join everyone in Preston Park as they gathered for the off.

Just after 9 o'clock the adventure really began:  through the streets of Brighton, up onto the Downs, back along the sea front and into Hove, back to the sea again for the slog out to Shoreham and the power station turn, then into the home run along the promenade.

We got to the end in 4 hours 30 minutes, which we think was a really good achievement.

It was fantastic to be part of a 'first' for the city, and fantastic to know, as well, about the support that was being offered back home in Newcastle.

Thanks once again, everyone!

Its been a bit of a long week since my return and I'm looking forward to a few days proper holiday now....!

I'll post another update when I get back, but as you can see, we've very nearly made the target for money raised.  Wow!

God bless,

Nick

Thanks again to everyone for your huge support so far!  I set off tomorrow for Brighton.  Here's hoping that the weather is kind on Sunday and that the legs survive.  You've all been immensely kind!

God bless,

Nick

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Three years ago, a young man called Matthew Hunter came to spend a year with us in Newcastle.  During that year, he encouraged members of ourchurch to run the Great North Run to raise cash for a medical college in Tanzania, in memory of Carl Pearson, a member of the congregation of St.George's.

I'd never run since school days, but decided to give it a go.  I got to the end, really enjoyed it, and we raised some money.

Now, challenged by my brother, I'm trying the Brighton Marathon...

I have two targets:  to raise money for St.George's and to raise money for the Friends of St.George's. 

The Friends' organisation helps us to build links with our local community.  We aim to refurbish furniture used by the Fairtrade Tearoom and other groups who use the hall, to renew lighting in the church so that schools, choirs, orchestras and community groups can actually see again. - Important things like that.

The Church is a Grade One Listed building which is an architectural and spiritual joy but a huge challenge to maintain.  This year, especially, it has been very tough, and we haven't been certain that we could find the cash to support another young person like Matthew and his two successors who have all spent a year with us, exploring ministry in Newcastle.  This opportunity, to work in the parish and to share in its life, especially in supporting the young people of Jesmond, has been hugely valued by each of our parish placement holders. 

'Everyone benefits from the energy, enthusiasm and commitment we've seen' said a member of the congregation. - Please consider helping us make sure that we can still offer this opportunity to someone, especially in a time of economic difficulty, while also trying to conserve our buildings and develop our community support.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.