Jack Woodrup of Bromptons Opticians (located in Gardner Street) is running his first ever Brighton Marathon on Sunday 12th September 2021, to fundraise for mental health charity, Mind. We spoke to Jack to hear about his training and raising money for a cause close to his heart…
Hi Jack! Why did you decide to run the Brighton Marathon?
I chose the Brighton Marathon mainly because it’s local! I really love Brighton and am really looking forward to running through and around it, and the support from people when I ran the Brighton Half Marathon in 2019 was incredible. This will be my first ever full marathon!
How is training going? Can you tell us about your regime?
I’ve only just started my training, but I ran five half marathons last year and having that under my belt already is going to be a benefit. I don’t really understand things like interval training and things like that, so my training currently consists of running loops of Preston Park, aiming to increase my speed and/or distance each time. I’m taking part in the Brighton Half Marathon in February as a training run as well.
Why are you running to raise funds for Mind?
Although we have seen an increase in mental health awareness over the past few years, mental health services are still struggling and underfunded. One in four people will experience a mental health problem in their life and no one should face it alone. Mind are one of the largest mental health charities, and they provide advice and support for anyone experiencing mental health problems as well as campaigning to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with anxiety, and have found that running has really helped me manage it and now it is very rare that it causes me any issues. However I’m aware that this isn’t something that can help every single person, so I’m running to raise money for Mind to help every person with mental health issues.
What are you looking forward to most about running the marathon?
Apart from finishing with a good time – I’m aiming for under 4 hours 30 minutes – the best thing about running races is the crowds. They are so supportive to all the runners regardless of how fast or slow they are, and you can never underestimate the power of a high five when you’re flagging!
If you would like to help Jack reach his target of raising £1,000 (or find out more) visit: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/jackarywoo. Good luck Jack!
