Two Edinburgh running club pals are celebrating after smashing their fundraising target for Samaritans ahead of this year’s TCS London Marathon.
Lizzie Edwards and Oli Gardner, both 32, aimed to raise £4,000 for the suicide prevention charity, but have now raised over £5,000.
Samaritans is the official Charity of the Year for the event, which will be held on Sunday, April 21.
In 2023, Samaritans volunteers throughout the UK and Ireland answered a call for help every 10 seconds. Every £5 raised could help answer a call for help.
Lizzie and Oli, members of the Good Time Running Club, applied to take part in the event to raise awareness of Samaritans’ services and the importance of looking after your mental health.
Lizzie is also running in memory of her friend who died by suicide in 2022.
She said: “One of my favourite memories with my friend was running a 10km race back in 2016 and in the months before she died, we’d talked about taking on a marathon together. So completing my first marathon and helping to raise money for Samaritans in the process feels like a fitting tribute.
“I wanted to play my part in helping to ensure that more people get the support that they need at times of crisis to prevent suicide.
“Samaritans do such great work in providing critical support, but also in sharing helpful information to those who are concerned about their own and loved ones’ mental health and in campaigning for better mental health services.”
Oli added: “Early last year I received a medical diagnosis which led to me having to leave my new job with the Scottish Fire and Rescue service as a trainee firefighter.
“I found myself struggling to get on top of my mental health for the first time in my life. No amount of reassurance from friends or family made much impact.
“It was only after hitting my lowest point I truly understood the importance of the work Samaritans do.”
As well as training to take part in the marathon, Lizzie and Oli have been raising funds for Samaritans by selling custom T-shirts, holding quizzes and raffles, and organising races.
Their total currently stands at an impressive £5,300.
Lizzie said: “We initially had a combined fundraising target of £4,000, which felt really daunting.
“However, we are now sitting at around £5,300. This is beyond anything we could have imagined and I’m so excited to see where our final total ends up. We know that this money will make a real difference to the work of Samaritans.”
Oli, who has completed the Chicago and Berlin marathons, is looking forward to the atmosphere in London.
He said: “Everyone’s taking part for their own reasons, running at their own pace and have individual goals.
“An Ultra marathon runner once described the marathon distance as his nightmare, it’s so short than you can race it, but it’s far enough that you’re going to leave everything out there.
“I’m really proud of the work me and Lizzie have done raising funds for Samaritans and so many people have put their time, effort, money and belief in us. I’ll definitely cry at the finishing line!”
Lizzie and Oli will be joined in London by a group of family and friends, who will be cheering them on along the route.
Lizzie said: “I am so looking forward to seeing them out on the course for that little lift as I make my way around. Hopefully some celebrity spotting will also help the miles go by a little quicker!”
You can contribute to Lizzie and Oli’s fundraising efforts here - Samaritans: Lizzie and Oli 2024 TCS London Marathon! (enthuse.com)
Samaritans is Charity of the Year for the 2024 TCS London Marathon. To get involved and show you believe in tomorrow, visit samaritans.org/tomorrow