A runner from Hereford is aiming to fulfil a lifetime ambition when he runs the London Marathon for The Donkey Sanctuary next month.
Chris Sandy will be among several others in Team Donkey Sanctuary who will be raising vital funds for the animal welfare charity at the world-famous event in October – and by doing so will complete his ambition of taking part in the iconic marathon by the time he turned 40.
They will join around 40,000 other runners on the start line in Greenwich before taking in some of the UK capital’s well-known landmarks, including Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace on their way to the finish line on The Mall, 26.2 miles later.
Chris is not new to running such a distance, having run the Edinburgh and Birmingham marathons in the past, although he openly admits this was quite a few years back. He loves the freedom running gives him and likes nothing better than pulling on his trainers and heading out for a run.
To help build up his mile count, Chris, who works in for his family’s furniture business, has enlisted the help of his friend Roger, who ran the London event in 2016.
Not only does Chris have Roger’s support, but they are also fortunate to live among the beautiful Herefordshire countryside, which is perfect for their training runs.
One such route sees them follow the old Roman road for several miles out of Hereford, then pass by Stirling Lines army barracks, home to the elite Special Air Service regiment, before heading back round to their start point in the city.
Chris and his wife Andrea first discovered The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth while on holiday in Devon in 2016. Having a new-born baby and two dogs meant that places to visit were a little restricted for the family, so they were delighted to find the sanctuary virtually next door to their holiday cottage.
After their first visit they were hooked by the charm of the sanctuary. They have now stayed at the cottage over 12 times and have even spent two Christmases there.
Chris said: “Our six-year-old daughter Alexandra loves nothing more than going for a walk to see the donkeys on Christmas Day and wishing them all a ‘Merry Christmas’. That is all she wants for Christmas, so we’ve booked again for this year!”
During one of the family’s earlier visits to the sanctuary, they went to visit one of the groups of resident donkeys. Their daughter, who was quite young at the time and strapped to Chris’ front, had her wellie boot pulled off her foot by one of the donkeys.
Thankfully, they manged to retrieve it quickly, and since then the donkey in question Tornado has had a place in their hearts. After making such a first impression, the family always look out for him whenever they visit.
Chris said: “I think that the reason we love the donkeys and The Donkey Sanctuary is that you can still feel the love and passion that their founder Dr Elisabeth had all those years ago. Despite the fast-paced technological world we live in, The Donkey Sanctuary is place of calm and peace.
“The donkey is such a gentle animal and many of them get taken advantage of as they are still seen by many as merely a beast of burden. We like to see the ‘underdog’ get treated fairly.”
Rose Huxham, Community Fundraising Officer at The Donkey Sanctuary, said: “We are so pleased that Chris has chosen to take part in the iconic event and raise funds for The Donkey Sanctuary. We are thrilled that by doing so he is also completing one of his lifetime’s ambitions and look forward to welcoming him across the finish line.”
Chris added: “I am delighted on two fronts. Firstly, to be in the actual London Marathon, and so very proud to be doing it for The Donkey Sanctuary. Something that means a lot for me and my family.”
To keep updated on Chris’ progress, including how to support his fundraising, please visit his Just Giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/christopher-sandy2
