Like many events this year, the 2020 London Marathon had to make some changes due to COVID-19. Virgin Money adapted and set up a Virtual Marathon where two of our fundraisers put on their running shoes and decided to continue as planned and run a marathon for Home-Start UK, but virtually! 

Richard Holland and Melissa Potts decided that the pandemic was not going to stop them raising money for Home-Start UK and run 26.2 miles. Training for a marathon is hard enough, but doing it by yourselves can be difficult as Melissa explains, ‘It was hard motivating myself with it not being in London and a ‘proper’ marathon, but once I got into it, it was so fantastic’.

Richard echoes this, ‘The training was rewarding but exceptionally hard! I learned lots of lessons the hard way, and the summer training was brutal!! I enjoyed the winter training for the original April date, but as a fair haired guy the summer training was too hot for me’

On Sunday 4^th October, both runners ran independently from one another and joined up with 45,000 other runners up and down the UK – and across the world. 

Running without the cheer of the London crowds was a challenge in itself, let alone the sheer distances they had to run. ‘Sunday was a challenging and amazing day, it was wonderful to be able to run, and a privilege to take part on behalf of Home Start’, said Richard.

‘I actually loved it’, Melissa explains, ‘Afterwards I felt so emotional and accomplished! Just so amazing to do it for such an amazing charity’.  

Next October, we would love to have you with us as part of #TeamHomeStart.

If you would like a chance to take part, please complete the Charity Place Application

Find out more about running in the 2021 London Marathon for Home-Start, here