Shaping Up For Marathon Run for Francis House

(Kindly shared by Francis House)

Midshire Sales Manager, Nick Rose from Stockport is once again putting his best foot forward to raise funds for Francis House Children’s Hospice.

In 2013, Nick Rose organised a world record beating 72 hour football event raising over £46,000.

Last year along with other high profile business leaders from Manchester, Nick participated in the Can You Sing Manchester singing competition. Both events raised tens of thousands of pounds for the Greater Manchester based children’s hospice.

This year the location for the next round of fundraising is London. Nick is being joined by Midshire Business Systems colleague John Starkey and fellow F72 football challenge player and next door neighbour Steve Higginson.

The trio will be pounding the streets of London along with almost 40,000 other runners on April 26, at the start line of the Virgin London Marathon.

Nick, 28, said: “The charity is very close to my heart, my younger sister has friends that go to Francis House for respite care, and it is a marvellous place. Steve, John and I are all first timers in the London Marathon. We all did the Manchester Marathon last year which I completed in just under 4 hours. I’d like to do 3 hours 45 minutes but I’ll just be happy to get round.”

Steve Higginson, 35, a project manager, in the finance department at ITV Plc in Media City, said: “Nick is a very persistent man, that’s how I got involved in the World Record football attempt.

“I’ve done other runs and the London to Paris bike ride, and a lot of people do them for a charity they’ve been personally affected by. I thought what a shame that people have to wait until something happens to them to get involved. So I committed to myself that I’d try and do something as often as I could and to get involved when the opportunity came up.”

Nick and Steve are running together for two hours every Saturday morning and have passed the half marathon stage in their training.

John, 41, Midshire photocopier engineer from Wigan, admitted finding the training tough going.

He said: “You get up early for work, come home late, the house is nice and warm, the dog cuddles up to you on the couch, and your favourite footy team is on the telly. You then think I’ve got to go and do an hour and a half run.

Then when you are out running, twenty minutes in its tough and you want to just stop and go home and watch the match, but you drive on.”

John recently completed the Blackpool half marathon in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Although half the distance, it was still a challenge in itself.

Their experience on the Manchester Marathon last year hasn’t put them off. All completed the 26.2 mile course with Steve coming in quickest with a time of three and a half hours.

“It took me 23 miles just to take over a guy dressed as a Smurf,” John said.

Also running the marathon in support of Francis House is Sarah Louise Taylor from Burnage. The four runners are turning to family and friends and commercial suppliers hoping to raise over £8,000 in combined sponsorship.

“When you’re running you think this is great, what a brilliant achievement, and when you look around and you see loads of other people who have got a challenge as well, whether they might be a little bit older or dressed in a costume, it’s just incredible what everyone is achieving.” said Nick.

Francis House cares for over 370 sick children, teenagers and young adults with a short life expectancy. It provides support, friendship and short breaks of respite care for the whole family.  The hospice needs over £3.6 million in charitable donations each year to continue to provide and expand its services.

Anyone interested in challenging themselves for Francis House can visit www.francishouse.org.uk/ or call Emma in the fundraising office on 0161 443 2200