I am running the 2019 London marathon on April 28, 2019 on behalf of ActionAid UK and would love your support!

Why ActionAid -- It is an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty. Their local staff are helping to end violence against women and girls. They work alongside them to develop solutions to fit their needs and circumstances. For instance, ActionAid has been in Nepal since 1982 focusing on education, hunger and women's rights. It has collaborated with local women’s group in Western Nepal to tackle the stigma around women’s monthly menstruation and raise awareness about the negative effect of “chhaupadi” (a practice where women and girls are sent away from their homes during their monthly menstruation). ActionAid has also provided emergency aid following the 2015 earthquake that devastated Nepal on a catastrophic scale and took about 9,000 lives. Being from Nepal, it is very meaningful to me to be able to support ActionAid given its longstanding involvement there. My goal with this fundraiser is to support ActionAid to fund these type of projects. I hope that you will consider making a donation to support this cause!

Why London Marathon: Running London marathon has always been one of my top goals. This marathon is one of the six world marathon majors and features a great course in a great city! The race offers the opportunity to share the course with the world’s best elite marathoners, including world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, British record holder Mo Farah, and Mary Keitany (who holds the fastest time for women’s only marathon), among others. All these amazing elite runners and thousands of determined regular runners provide an inspiration to push boundaries and strive to achieve one's goals in order to make one's dreams reality.

My Marathon Journey: I ran my first marathon in Washington, DC in October 2011 and have been hooked ever since. My second marathon was in Berlin in September 2012 and that was when I realized that running a race in new country/city is exhilarating! I have since ran 12 domestic and international races in places including California, Chicago, New Jersey, Ottawa, Paris, and Philadelphia. These races have allowed me to experience new places in an unique way. I have also put in countless training miles in between. I have been able to discover amazing trails and roads off the beaten path, both at home and abroad, and this has been an adventure!

I enjoy running simply for the joy that it gives me. In particular, I find that the long training runs can be meditative and recharge the soul. Over the years, through running, I have learned a lot about hard work, being committed, consistent, and dedicated to personal goals and applying that to all aspects of my life. Along the way, my marathon time has improved by more than an hour to current PR of 3:18:22 (at the California International Marathon in December 2018). I am chasing the elusive Boston marathon qualification with my London marathon. I hope to get there with solid and persistent training, and your support!

It gives me great joy and consider it a privilege to be able to help an organization like ActionAid while pursuing my dream of running the London marathon.

I am thankful and appreciative of your support. More importantly your support will make a difference in the lives of many through support for ActionAid projects.

Thank you,

Saurav Karki