The personal part...

When I was 17, I lost one of my close friends to AIDS.  There was't the amazing medication that there is today and Jeff Callaway was one of the unlucky ones in 1989 who succumbed quickly to the virus, without access to antiretrovirals.

In 1998, Jeff's loss inspired me to work as a clinical research co-ordinator in The Kobler Centre (The HIV Unit) at The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. In under a decade it was a miracle to see patients living with HIV, benefiting from the new antiretrovirals and other clinical interventions. While tens of millions have died of AIDS in the past, far more (approximately 38 million worldwide) are now living with HIV, with life expectancies similar to those in the general population. 

That said, HIV does have its challenges. There is still stigma. There are all sorts of personal, social and medical obstacles that occur. And this is where the Terrence Higgins Trust comes in. It's been there since the dawn of HIV/AIDS and has supported tens of thousands of people needing support, and THT continues to do so now and in the future. 

So this marathon is dedicated to this wonderful charity THT that does so much for those living with HIV (and those that haven't HIV but need support in some way).

Thank you for supporting me in this, my first London Marathon. 

Glenn x

Terrence Higgins Trust information:

Thank you for choosing to stand shoulder to shoulder with the many thousands of people living with, and affected by HIV. Thanks to the help of wonderful people like you, we can stand together to provide comfort and support for people with HIV going through tough times, and make sure they never have to feel alone. We can educate young people about the facts around HIV and the importance of valuing their sexual health. We can fight the shocking stigma that still exists around people living with HIV. We've already come so far, but theres still so much to be done.