An Aberdeen NHS worker who has trained for 2 years, running over 1,800 miles, and raising over £4,000 to date for local charity Home-Start Aberdeen, will finally line-up at the weekend to run this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon.
Allan Leslie (54), who has worked in nursing for over 36 years, was due to run for Home-Start Aberdeen in the 2020 race which was rescheduled due to the CV19 pandemic. He was fortunately able to carry forward his place to participate in London this Sunday, October 3.
In March 2020, Allan developed CV19 symptoms and was severely ill for several weeks. In a matter of days he went from marathon fitness to struggling to walk around his home.
Allan also has haemophilia which is a rare condition that affects the blood's ability to clot. This means that if injuries are sustained these can bleed for longer than usual with sufferers being more susceptible to internal bleeds and bruising.
Through personal determination and perseverance Allan built up his strength with short walks and daily yoga. Slowly re-gaining his fitness with longer walks and slow jogs, to open water swimming at Knockburn Loch, to encourage his lungs to open up and clear, he managed to get back to running. He clocked up over 800 miles of training in 2020, and a further 1,037 miles since January this year.
“It was a real challenge getting my fitness back and I’m still slower than I was but I’ve just reset my benchmark, and that’s ok,” said Allan.
“Walking was a stretch to start but I gradually built up the running again. The icy conditions at the start of the year were very difficult but I continued running about 25 miles every week and in August I ran 230 miles so you could say I am well prepared!
“There’s been several injuries recently with my knee and ankle but I’ve always said if I can just make it round now, that’s all that matters.
“I want to make Home-Start and everyone who has supported me proud whilst raising as much awareness and money to support local families who are really struggling to cope. I’m doing this to help them, because everyone needs a little help sometimes. I can’t wait to cross that finish line, raising as much vital funds as I can for an amazing charity!”
The money Allan has raised will help to support local families with young children in Aberdeen who are struggling to cope. These families have at least one child under the age of five and are typically affected by social isolation, bereavement, relationship problems, illness, disability and financial hardship.
For over 30 years Home-Start Aberdeen has been supporting vulnerable families across the city to prevent family crisis and breakdown. Support is provided via carefully selected and trained volunteers who are there for families, providing them with compassionate and confidential help. CV19 meant that the charity adapted its home-visiting services to provide remote support to over 160 families in the Aberdeen city area.
Karen Smith, fundraising and events volunteer said: “Allan has been an exceptional supporter of Home-Start Aberdeen. He’s done a great deal of fundraising and supported us in so many different ways. We’re very pleased and proud that he is finally getting to run the marathon in London this weekend. We’ll all be cheering him, and all our other runners on, on Sunday!”
James Tole of Aberdeen, another Aberdeen Metros runner, is also running for Home-Start Aberdeen in this weekend’s event in London, as well as three further runners - Alan Mair, Dave Nugent and Gary Stuart - who will be participating in the event’s first ‘virtual’ format of the race. They will be running remotely in locations from Aberdeen to Germany. Combined the five participants will run 131 miles on Sunday, raising over £5k for Home-Start Aberdeen.
For more information on Home-Start Aberdeen visit www.homestartaberdeen.org.uk and if you’d like to support Allan’s fundraising target there’s still time to donate online at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ALLANLESLIE until Saturday, October 9.