Local fundraiser soaks up the London Marathon atmosphere in aid of charity

Whilst commuting to rehearsals for the opening and closing ceremonies at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 local community champion Julie Duhra found out she had been selected for a London Marathon place.

She was delighted to be given the chance to run with ‘Sikh’s in the City’, a London based running group. Their patron is Fauja Singh BEM, the oldest marathon runner in the world, is a figure of inspiration for Julie and the funds raised will help the charity to build a new clubhouse in his honour.

Julie raised a total of £4,000 towards this project which will help to raise awareness of physical activity and the positive impact this can have in the local community. The facilities will be used by everyone young and old and will be a lasting legacy of Fauja Singh’s amazing achievements.

After Sunday’s event, Julie was back behind the counter at her Hadley Convenience Store on the Haybridge Road in Hadley. Julie said: “At one point at mile 14 three gentlemen were wearing T-shirts with the words: ‘It’s not how you start, but how you finish’, which made me relax and just enjoy the race.”

Her next fundraising event is a 26 mile hike in the Peak District for Macmillan Cancer on the 22nd July 2023.