Local runner takes on first London Marathon for RUH ward

A MELKSHAM woman who is running the London Marathon next month, has already raised over £3,000 for the William Budd Ward at Bath RUH. 

Sarah Emery, who is a member of the Avon Valley Runners, is raising money for the ward which cared for a close family member who was diagnosed with cancer in 2019, and died six weeks later. 

Sarah, who has been training in and around Melksham said, “I have always wanted to run London and secured a place for the RUHX charity (previously known as The Forever Friends Appeal) in 2020. I was well into training when the event was cancelled because of the pandemic. The longest event I have ever run in so far is a half marathon, so the full distance is going to be a big challenge!  

“I prefer to run when it’s colder and I originally deferred to 2022 because the event was going to be in April, so training would be in the winter. However, last year the organisers changed the date again, so it is now in October 2022, which means training has been through the summer which has been tough in this heat wave!  

“I have been able to round up some friends and club mates to keep me company on some runs and training in the summer holidays has actually been OK as I work in a school – the real test will be when I go back to work in September! At the time of writing, I have got up to 14 miles and have a 16-mile and 20-mile run planned before tapering. I have a place in the Chippenham Half Marathon in September to aim for too.” 

Sarah has taken part in over 300 parkrun events and has run Melksham’s parkrun 73 times. Her fundraising will help pay for a bladder scanner to be purchased for the William Budd ward, whose staff Sarah described as “absolutely fantastic.”  

 Donations to support Sarah in running the 2022 London Marathon and the William Budd ward can be sent via her Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising /sarahemerylondonmarathon2022