London Marathon runner raises £1,066 for the Conquest Critical Care Team

After successfully gaining entry, via the ballot, to run this years London Marathon, Craig Andrew was keen to raise funds for a cause close to his heart. After a fairly swift discussion with his wife, Ruth, it was decided that he would run the marathon in aid of the fantastic Critical Care staff at the Conquest Hospital, Hastings.

Ruth Andrew was hospitalised, after becoming severely unwell with Covid-19. At the time of her admittance, Ruth's initial prognosis was poor.

However, with the swift actions of the critical care team, she was intubated and, after two weeks of amazing care, was able to return home to her family.

Ruth still requires regular support from the hospital, as a result of suffering with long Covid, and the staff have been incredibly supportive.

In recognition of this, Craig and Ruth reached out to the Trust's Charity Team and set up a meeting with the Critical Care Team, to discuss the challenge and to collect a running vest to use on the day.

Craig started training on the 1st January, in what was often adverse weather conditions on Hastings Seafront, determined to be in the best shape to meet his target of running the marathon in under four hours.

Despite four weeks out with injury, Craig completed the London Marathon in 3 hours 51 minutes. The atmosphere across the whole day was amazing.

The supporters, fellow runners and all the amazing volunteers made it an event Craig will never forget. It was even more pleasing to see his family members supporting him around the course, including his parents and siblings who had travelled down from his hometown of Bradford, West Yorkshire, to cheer him on.

After recovering and vowing to retire from running, Craig was incredibly moved to see a tweet from the Critical Care Team's Twitter page which showed a home-made congratulations sign made by the staff.

Craig and Ruth have been in discussions with the Trust to ensure that all the funds will be given directly to the staff in appreciation of their amazing work in very difficult circumstances. While the JustGiving page has recently closed at the very apt amount of £1,066, any further support to the team would be welcomed.