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More
Marathons and More Fund Raising
On Sunday 29th October,
1989, Reg celebrated his 82nd birthday by competing in
the annual National Trust Snowdonia Marathon. |
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Reg and Vic in training for the
Wrekin run. |
May 19th, 1990 was an important day in
Reg’s running career. Reg and his son Vic, ably assisted
by Dave Brackpool, who between them had so far raised
more than £11,000 for charity, decided to raise a
further £2,500 to pay for a computer system for the
Royal Hospital’s radiotherapy unit where Vic’s wife
Celia had been a patient for 4 years.
The relay took place over 53 miles from Wolverhampton
to the top of the Wrekin and back, and was a marvellous
achievement. |
| In the end Reg and Vic raised £7,500 for a computer,
printer and software to speed up the processing of
patients' data. It had been a great success and a
wonderful “thank you” for Celia’s treatment. In
November of that year, Reg’s running partner Madge
Sharples won the Contribution to Sport Award at London’s
Hilton Hotel.
The award was presented by the Princess of Wales on
behalf of Help the Aged.
At the time 74 years old Madge was one of only 74
people to have run all the 10 London Marathons since
1981. |
By this time Reg had moved into
his retirement home at Beechwood Court, Corfton Drive,
Tettenhall. The staff produced this poster to wish him
well. |
The presentation of the computer to the
hospital. |
In 1991 Reg thought that he hadn’t had quite enough
training to compete in the London Marathon, and so on
the same day, Sunday 21st
April, he ran a half marathon at Stafford to raise money
for Compton Hospice. As a result Reg and his daughter
in law Celia presented a cheque for £427 to the hospice.
At the time Celia, a cancer patient, was greatly
benefiting from treatment at the hospice’s day centre. |
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In June Reg ran what was to be his
last competitive race, the Shakespeare half marathon at
Stratford on Avon. Over the years he had a number of
falls whilst running, and sadly collapsed on the
finishing line of the half marathon, needing hospital
treatment afterwards. As a result of the falls and his
injury, Reg wisely decided that it was time to give-up
competitive running. Up to this time Reg and his
colleagues had raised a staggering £22,000 for charity.
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| Unfortunately another running accident soon
followed. Reg had decided to join his son Vic and other
members of the Wolverhampton Road Runners Club in an 84
mile, 80 lap charity relay around West Park to raise
money for Compton Hospice, where Vic’s wife Celia was a
patient. Reg went out on a training run for the event,
starting at Aldersley playing fields and ending at his
home in Tettenhall. As he reached Lower Green,
Tettenhall he caught his foot on a kerbstone and fell
head first into the road. |
Reg and Vic presenting the cheque
for £2,534 to Compton Hospice. |
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He continued running back home with
blood pouring from his leg, head and arm. On arrival he
was taken to hospital by ambulance. Undaunted he decided
that he would still take part in the run.
Sadly Reg’s daughter-in-law Celia
died at Compton Hospice a few days before the run, which
Reg now rededicated to her memory. The 84 miles were
completed in nearly 12 hours, of which Reg himself
covered just under 14 miles in a little over 3 hours.
The event raised a grand total of £2,534 for the Hospice
in Celia's memory. During the run Karl Davies (not a
relative of Reg) in company with another Wolverhampton
road runner, each completed 52 miles; a mile for every
year of Celia’s life.
In November, 1991 Reg received a
top national award for his contribution to sport. The
certificate from the Help the Aged Golden Awards was for
his many achievements since he started running in 1984.
At that time he had competed in 10 marathons, 25 half
marathons, and more than 40 shorter events. |
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Fund Raising |
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beginning |
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Last Years |
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