Andrew Watt, Group Manager at Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, recently completed an Ultramarathon in aid of Anthony Nolan, running an incredible 55 miles in 10 hours 31 minutes and raising nearly £2,000.
Andy took this time to write up his experiences of the gruelling event:
‘I first got involved with Anthony Nolan in 2009 through a partnership between Anthony Nolan and Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Service, which was set up by Area Commander Ally Boyle. A number of employees, including myself, volunteered to help the partnership set up and run donor recruitment events and patient appeals for Anthony Nolan in Scotland. I took the opportunity to join the register at the very first event we ran. To date, the partnership has added almost 5,000 potential donors to the register, with 7 people going on to donate their bone marrow. I've been lucky enough to meet some truly inspirational people through my involvement as a volunteer with Anthony Nolan.
I decided last year that I would run the Glasgow to Edinburgh Ultramarathon to raise money for Anthony Nolan. It follows the route of the Forth and Clyde and Union canals between Glasgow and Edinburgh, 55 miles in total! I started training at the beginning of December 2012: this involved shorter runs during the week and a bigger run at the weekends, slowly building up my mileage. It was a huge commitment but I was lucky to have the full support and encouragement of my wife Jill and two sons Kerr and Ellis.
The weather on race day was kind to us with perfect running conditions. I had a number of family and friends cheering me on all the way along the route, helping me to the finish. I managed to complete the race in 10 hours 31 minutes and 34 seconds (every second counts when you’ve run 55 miles!), finishing in joint 43rd place with my good friend Kevin Queenan, who had kept my company the whole way.
The Ultramarathon is the hardest challenge I have ever taken on, both mentally and physically, however it is also the most rewarding. I know that the money I've raised really will be spent on saving lives through the amazing work of Anthony Nolan. I have managed to raise over £1,700 in donations and when the gift aid is reclaimed, Anthony Nolan will receive over £2,000. I've genuinely been blown away by the generosity of family, friends and colleagues, who have dug deep into their pockets to raise this fantastic amount of money for a worthwhile cause.’