A first-time marathon runner from Southampton will be taking on a gruelling training regime this Christmas of ice baths and parkruns – all for a good cause.
Keen runner, Chris Foss, 33, who has only ever completed a 10k distance previously, fancied the challenge of the TCS London Marathon 2025, but was unsuccessful in the initial ballot. However, when he heard that Southampton cardiac charity Heartbeat was looking for people to take part in the on its behalf, he applied immediately and was successful.
Chris has now embarked on a serious training regime. He said: “I’ve never run a marathon before, although I regularly take part in my local 5k park run and I recently completed a 10k Race for Life.
“I’ve done my research and created my own training schedule for the lead up to the marathon. I want to progress gradually, making sure I don’t over-train and risk injury before next April.”
Chris has an unusual way of cooling down after a run: he jumps into an ice bath in his back garden. “Cold water therapy helps reduce muscle soreness, which usually sets in one to two days after a run,” he added. “It’s great at this time of year, but I must admit that during the winter months it’s very cold indeed!”
The 2025 TCS London Marathon takes place on Sunday 27th April, and Chris has an ambitious fundraising target. He needs to find a minimum of £2,000 in sponsorship, 25% of which must be raised by 16th January 2025. “The London Marathon team have set me up with a fundraising page, so I’m going to post a link on social media, sharing it with friends and family and hopefully further afield too,” Chris commented. “The marketing team at SOS will also publicise it, and of course the team at Heartbeat will be shouting it from the rooftops.”
Hugely excited to be realising his dream, Chris said: “This opportunity still seems a bit surreal. There were a record number of applicants for next year’s marathon, over 840,000, so to be one of the runners lucky enough to get a place is the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m going to take it with both hands and try to raise as much money as I can for a great cause.”
Since the London Marathon began in 1981, runners on the iconic 26.2-mile course from Greenwich to Westminster have raised more than £1 billion for good causes.
Tanya Harder, Community Fundraising and Marketing Manager at Heartbeat, she commented: “We are thrilled that Chris will be running for us next April. It’s going to be the 45th London Marathon, so it will be a significant year.
“We couldn’t be more grateful for all the hard work that Chris will be putting into his training programme and of course, on the day. Without the support of Chris and others like him, we wouldn’t be able to continue to provide the best quality cardiac care for patients and their families in the Wessex region and beyond.”