MELKSHAM man, Darren Phillips, ran his first London marathon on 2nd October, in memory of his sister, Michelle, who died aged 26, in a car accident.
Darren took on the challenge to raise funds for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance (WAA), the emergency service which attended the accident in 2004. With an initial target of £1,000, Darren has exceeded that total and has currently raised £1,247. Darren said, “The event was really enjoyable. I ran it just short of five hours. I do wish I had run it quicker but it just isn’t possible at the London marathon because of all the people there!”
A keen runner and member of Melksham’s Forest Fitness, Darren has run other marathons, but this was his first London Marathon. Darren added, “It was an amazing experience and I have already put in to do it next year. The date has returned to the same date pre-pandemic and that means the next event is April.”
Since Michelle’s death, the Phillips family have been dedicated to raising money in memory of their daughter for the WAA, taking part in events such as charity skydives and bike rides being supported by friends and the local Melksham community.
Darren’s London marathon run was likely to be the last event for the family to publicly raise funds for the WAA, as they have so far raised £18,360 collectively and aim to reach the milestone of £20,000 before closing their public fundraising.