The Countdown is ON!
Like clockwork, every April arrives and with it comes the arrival of the much loved, world renowned, TCS London Marathon. This 26.2 mile journey travels through the centre of London at the Greenwich/Blackheath Park and ventures through the streets (and overwhelming cheers of the crowds) till they reach The Mall in St James Park where they cross the finish line.
Though any UK resident over the age of 18 can enter this fantastic event, some people wait years for their name to be drawn from the ballot.
This is why many participants choose to pursue an alternate method of entering known as a ‘charity place’. These runners take on the TCS London Marathon for a charity, and securing their place means committing to fundraising for the cause. To be selected for one of these charity places, many organisations require runners to complete a simple application form that allows the charity to select runners who best connect with their cause.
Northamptonshire Association of Youth Clubs (NAYC) has been able to offer charity places to runners over the past few years and after a busy application period, been able to select four runners who we feel best connect to our cause and who are best prepared for the fundraising and marathon training journey.
So, would you like to meet them?
Andy Player
"I’ve worked at one of there centres for nearly 3 years now and the opportunities and experiences they give to these young kids I would’ve loved to have that when I was younger and hopefully the money I can raise will help with future funding to continue the excellent work that they do"
When this application popped into our inbox, we were overjoyed to see a familiar name. Andy has been working at our Pioneer Centre as part of the chef team for several years now and we are so proud to see him take this opportunity to support NAYC’s work even further. Andy is excited to race, and to take on this personal challenge, and become one of less than 1% of people who have completed a Marathon. The TCS London Marathon has seen over 1.3 million finishers since its creation back in 1981, which sounds like a large number, especially when you consider a whopping 56,640 racers finished the event in 2025 alone. But when compared to the current world population, suddenly this seemingly ‘high’ number feels like only a single speck of sand on a coastline. Andy’s excitement isn’t only in crossing that finish line – but in supporting a cause he truly believes in and has been supporting for years through his tireless efforts as part of our team.
Dawn Barry
"I have always wanted to test my running in the TCS London Marathon, and this year is my year."
It was to our surprise when another familiar name popped into our inbox, this time it was Dawn Barry who currently works within our King’s Park Conference Centre team. Like Andy, Dawn has been able to see first hand the difference NAYC can make in the lives of young people after almost a decade as part of our house team crew – keeping the King’s Park site sparkling clean for our guests.
Dawn is looking forward to this opportunity to test her running skills alongside so many other wonderful athletes, and see just how far her feet can take her on the course. Her training has been progressing very well, and the miles are quickly adding up as she approaches the ‘home stretch’ for the start f the TCS London Marathon on April 27th .
Alex Williams
"Running a marathon is a huge challenge, but knowing it’s helping young people access opportunities they’d otherwise miss out on will keep me motivated all the way.."
Alex is no stranger to the brutal test of endurance and perseverance that is the TCS London Marathon – only 3 short years ago Alex was on the streets of London, making his way 26.2 miles towards the finish line in his first ever attempt at the TCS London Marathon. Following his successful first run, Alex commented; “I said I would never do it again, but seem to have forgotten how brutal it was in 2023.”. We are so happy to hear he’s forgotten and is ready to lace up his shoes once more.
Alex’s training is well underway now, with the start date now right around the corner, but it’s not only his training that is progressing: As of the time of writing this article, Alex has raised an impressive 42% of his fundraising goal!
Mark Weekley
"Amazing how things turn out sometimes and how all of this had changed my mindset from never wanting to run the marathon to now having all the motivation needed to take on the challenge, something I feel God's hand was probably in all along."
Mark used to be an active football player in his local town, but after a bad injury and a ruptured ACL a few years ago his life took an unexpected turn and he found himself unable to enjoy the sport he loved in the same way he had before. So instead, to find fulfilment in a new way, Mark decided to give himself a new challenge each year to keep his body moving and away from the TV!
After a few of his co-workers decided to give a half-marathon a go, Mark opted to join in on the fun and make that his new challenge… at least that was their plan, until the words “We have been thinking…” were spoken and it was decided that if they were already running half a marathon, why not make it a full marathon! But deciding to run a marathon and getting a place to run a marathon are very different challenges. After some failed applications, Mark was browsing the list of charities featured on the TCS London Marathon website when suddenly something caught his eye – a charity organisation that had been a part of his life before when his late father, Richard, was an active supporter of NAYC.
Now that you’ve met our runners, why not head over to our Enthuse page and help this amazing crew reach their fundraising goal! You can help support their efforts by donating or sharing their page with your friends and family. Thank you for helping us release potential in ALL!
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