Sedberghians Complete London Marathon

History was made on Sunday, with more people finishing the London Marathon than ever before. An incredible 42,549 runners made their way down The Mall to the iconic finish line. Amongst those runners who finished the race we had a current Year 13 pupil, and four Old Sedberghians – One of which is now a member of staff here at Sedbergh School. Year 13 pupil, Cam Harris, Sedbergh Courses, James Doherty (SH, 03-05), OS April Stobart (L, 05-07), Imogen Boddy (R, 15-17) and OS Toby Bentley (S, 06-11) all completed the London Marathon on Sunday. 

James Doherty and April ran the London Marathon to raise money for VICTA. A charity that provides support to children and young people who are blind or partially sighted and their families. When asked about his memories of the day, James said, “The anticipation on the start line was the worst bit, I just wanted to get going! The atmosphere was incredible with all the music and cheering. Crossing the finishing line, with April, after the months of solid training brought such a great sense of achievement”. James and April completed the London Marathon in a time of 3:38:06.

Toby Bentley, along with his two brothers, girlfriend and friend, completed the London Marathon on Sunday whilst raising money for CLIC Sargent. A charity that supports young people who suffer from cancer, as well as their affected families. What makes Toby’s marathon story so astonishing is that just over two years ago, Toby was diagnosed with stage 3/4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. After an extended period of treatment, Toby was given the all clear at the end of 2017 and has had his 1-year scan to confirm he is still clear of cancer. Fast-forward to April 2019 and Toby completed the London Marathon in a time of 3:57:36. 

Toby described the marathon as “An incredibly hard event both physically and mentally, but one of the most rewarding days of my life”. When asked about his highlights from the day, Toby said, “Crossing Tower Bridge; not only where the biggest crowd gathers but also the half way point and the first realisation that you can make it. As a one-off experience there is nothing else I have done that comes close to the support you receive and the feeling of accomplishment at the end”.

Upper sixth pupil, Cam Harris (S) completed the London Marathon on Sunday and was raising money for a charity close to his heart, MS-UK. MS-UK provides support for people affected by multiple sclerosis, which is around 107,000 in the UK and 2.3 million people worldwide. In 2006, Cam’s Mother was diagnosed with MS. Although Cam recognises, he and his family have been lucky to have been provided with support and health care, he is all too aware that not everyone is as lucky as his family. When asked about his experience of London Marathon, Cam said, “it is one of the best experiences I have ever done. When you are coming around and see the finish line it’s just the best feeling in the world”.

Cam went on to talk about entering the race again saying “I have already put my name in the ballot to run next year. The whole day is an amazing experience I think everyone should have go at it”. Cam finished the London Marathon in a time of 4:26:41.

Follow Sedbergh: