Marathon man x 3

Chris Lakin ran the New York Marathon for a local charity but decided to run London for Deafness Research UK. Four weeks later he will be turning his attention to the Edinburgh Marathon!

Many people entering the London Marathon do so to raise money for charity and while some are just looking to complete the course, some people like Staffordshire’s Chris Lakin are looking to put in a good time too.

Chris, 35, is no stranger to Marathons and cross country runs. He completed a five mile race on his home turf of Cannock Chase last August and also completed the prestigious New York Marathon in 2008, which made taking part in the London Marathon a logical step. It was just a question of which charity he would support.

“I choose to run in aid of charity as I love running,” explained Chris, ”I ran the New York Marathon for a local charity, so I decided to run London for Deafness Research UK. I work in a sales position for a hearing aid and audiology company, so I know of the importance of Deafness Research UK’s work and thought because of my work connection, I stood a good chance of raising more money for them.”

Chris is looking to raise over £1,500 for Deafness Research UK, although London will not be the end of his endeavours. Once Chris has London under his belt, just four weeks later he will be turning his attention to Edinburgh Marathon too! “I am hoping to hit my fundraising target with London, but I will be taking part in the Edinburgh Marathon just after London and I am doing this for Deafness Research UK too, so between them I am hoping to do quite well with my fundraising!”

Anyone looking to sponsor Chris on his epic ‘Marathon of Marathons’ in aid of Deafness Research UK can do so by visiting his fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/chris-lakin. His efforts are sure not just to raise a lot of money, but will inspire many people to follow in his footsteps.

Sue Bowcock, Community and Events Officer for Deafness Research UK, said: “Chris is one more example of people who go to extraordinary lengths to support Deafness Research UK. Running not just one but two Marathons for us is absolutely amazing. We are all so grateful for his efforts, which are sure not just to raise a lot of money, but will inspire many other people to think about running for charity in the future.”

One in seven of the UK population suffers from a hearing disability and the funds raised by people like Chris is about more than just money, it’s about giving people hope for a cure or a way to manage their condition, enabling them to get on with running their lives. Talking of running, how does Chris expect to go on in the Marathon?

“My best time for a Marathon so far is 3hrs 40mins 4 secs,” said Chris, “so anything towards 3hrs 30mins would be a great achievement.”

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