Loch Ness Marathons 2008

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About Hope for Children

Hope for Children (HOPE) was officially registered as a Charity in 1994 to coincide with the International Year of the Family. It is a non-sectarian, non-political and non-profit making organisation. HOPE's aims and objectives are to assist children, who suffer through being handicapped, orphaned, poor and exploited, in particular those living in developing countries.

www.hope-for-children.org/

About Me (Stuart Macfarlane)

At the age of 51, having lived a happy sedentary life, and thoroughly looking forward to that slow decline into senile dementia and rheumatism, I was suddenly forced out of my armchair and onto the cruel roads in little more than my underwear. “You need to get some exercise!” said my son, Brian, and daughter, Amanda, “start running!”

Well I did ‘run’ with them around the block – a distance of 1kM and, apart from having to walk 999 meter of the way, it was fairly successful.

But the torture was not allowed to stop there – oh no – I was ejected from my armchair and made to hobble, limp crawl and occasionally run around the block on a regular basis.

“Why not enter a 10k race?” one of them said, rather forcefully one day. And so grudgingly and with a few moans I undertook the ‘M77 – Run the Road’ race in spring 2005. Surprisingly I managed to run the whole 10k and didn’t die at the finish line. And so more, many more 10k races followed.

Running must have been having a strange effect on my brain for I suddenly had an urge to run a half-marathon – so, on a miserable autumn day (with rain, sleet and gale force winds) in 2005 I found myself at the starting line of the Jedburgh half-marathon. Having survived this I vowed that I’d never do another – ever ever again. But by the time we’d driven home I was desperate to have another go and immediately went onto the Scottish Athletics website and signed up for the next available race.

Of course I’d never attempt anything more than a ‘half’ . . . until Amanda bought me “The London Marathon: The History of the Greatest Race on Earth” – the experience sounded so amazing - I was hooked – I had to have a go.

By this time I’d joined “Bellahouston Road Runners” and was lucky enough to get a club place in the 2007 Marathon. Running 26.2 miles through the streets of London in 27 degree heat was an experience in more ways than one – but I got to the finish line in one piece. The people of London sure make you feel like a hero – what an incredible atmosphere.

. . . but London would definitely be my first and last marathon . . . well not quite – I had reached that level of insanity when I wanted more – so Loch Ness 2008 will be my 6^th marathon – and definitely my last (at least until next year).

Thanks Stuart

PS: I can be contacted at stuart(at)stuartmacfarlane.com replace the (at) with @

Visit my website: www.stuartmacfarlane.com