LEEA Chief Exec to Run 2014 London Marathon

Geoff Holden, the chief executive of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA), will take on the gruelling 26 miles and 385 yards of the London Marathon on April 13 2014 to raise money for the hospice movement.

Holden, who turns 60 in March, will pound the course for the third time; he last run London 10 years ago. “I wanted to do something to mark that 60-year milestone,” he said.

“My father died on Christmas Day 2012 and in the weeks before we were helped by the local hospice so it seemed appropriate to raise money for the hospice movement which receives no direct government funding,” he added.

Holden has setup a just giving page at JustGiving.com/Geoff-Holden where people can donate and take advantage of the gift aid scheme for UK taxpayers.

“Running LEEA has become increasingly complex as the membership has grown and the geographical spread has increased,” said Holden. “Running is very simple—put one foot in front of the other and keep going—so there is quite a contrast. The common thread is, however hard the going gets don’t give up as the achievement is worth working for.”

Holden runs in rural England, treading the country lanes that surround the village where he lives. “Running certainly helps to clear the mind after a hard day in the office,” he said. “I’ve always run a little; the frequency varies depending on how I feel but it is a cheap and convenient way to keep fit.

“The intention is to get around the marathon and enjoy the day; I’m not aiming to break any records. I have a bit of a halt in the training due to catching a cold but I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to settle down to some more intensive training once I’ve shaken that off.”

Holden will need to fit hundreds of training miles around a busy travel schedule, which sees him in all four corners of the world as race day approaches, but he is determined to use that to his advantage: “Business travel can confuse your body clock but with most hotels having some form of gym training can sometimes be easier as you don’t have to work around home meal routines.”

He added: “I find running long distances gives you time to think. The early stages of training can be a bit painful but once you can run at a steady rhythm then you can be elsewhere while you run on auto pilot. The worst aspects can be the weather; the problem with the London Marathon is that you have to train through the winter with dark and often wet nights.”

Support Geoff Holden at www.justgiving.com/Geoff-Holden.