75-year-old Les Bown from Allingham Lodge in Eastbourne has celebrated completing the 26.2-mile Beachy Head Trail Marathon to raise an impressive £5,000 for St Wilfrid’s Hospice, in recognition of the care they have been offering to his wife, Heather.
Les was joined on Tuesday 28th January by his friends and neighbours at the Lodge, who organised a special coffee morning and cheque presentation to recognise his remarkable achievement. St Wilfrid’s Community Events Fundraiser Jemma Campbell and members of the Churchill team were also there, as Les’ individual fundraising was topped up by an extra £982 donation from the Churchill Foundation, Churchill’s own charity, to boost his overall total.
Looking back on the run, here's what Les had to say:
“I am never doing another marathon! Those were the words I uttered after running my first marathon more than 30 years ago, yet here I was again. This time, I would be facing the undulating hills of the 26.2 mile course around the South Downs National Park as part of the Beachy Head Marathon.
“I completed the run, but it was brutal from the start, going up the hill at the top of the seafront, and taking in Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters as I made my way round. And because we’d had so much rain beforehand, the ground was thick with mud.
“But it was the thought of Heather that kept me going. We’ve been married for 54 years and have two sons and three grandchildren. Heather has bravely fought cancer for the past 10 years, during which time she has endured numerous rounds of gruelling chemotherapy. Sadly, the drugs are no longer effective, and her cancer is now classified as terminal.
“I met Heather when I was serving in the Army in the Royal Military Police. I was posted to Plymouth, where Heather was working in the dockyard, and I always used to joke that she was a riveter, although she actually worked in finance.
“My job meant we moved around a lot and Heather always accompanied me on postings, even on long tours in Northern Ireland during violent times in the 1970s. When I finished serving after 26 years, I was a Captain in the Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police. Other places we lived during that time include Germany, Ireland, Hong Kong and Cyprus.
“That’s where I ran my first marathon in my early 40s. As a member of the Garrison Cross Country Team, we had a series of cross country runs throughout the winter, leading up to that first marathon. I’ve always tried to keep reasonably fit, and after that I carried on running on and off.
“We settled in Eastbourne in June 2022 with a move to Allingham Lodge, and after saying never again to a marathon, in October 2023 I spotted an advert for this year’s Beachy Head Marathon. I fancied a challenge and hoped I might still be able to do it; the idea to set a target of raising £2,000 for St Wilfrid’s came later. I can’t believe I ended up raising £5,000!
“The marathon seemed a fitting way to say thank you to the team at the hospice for their excellent support to Heather and myself during this difficult time.
“I trained for months, hoping I wouldn’t pick up an injury. I tried to go longer distances, but started getting sore ligaments in my right foot, so I had to ease off. It meant I never got to do the longer distances that I would have liked to have done, but funnily enough, on the marathon day itself, I didn’t have any trouble with my feet. It was my hips that ached.
“I got a tremendous response when I told people I was running for St Wilfrid’s. Friends, family, ex-colleagues from the Army and my later work in security for the Ministry of Defence, as well as our neighbours – they were all wonderful. I got almost £900 just from my neighbours, I think because a lot of them are local and know the hospice and its value.
“We’re very impressed with everything about St Wilfrid’s. I was offered counselling a few months ago and Heather also has access to their complementary therapists. They’re all brilliant. The hospice itself is a lovely building and we love the café, especially the scones! It’s nice that the café is open to everyone.
“But most of all, it’s just reassuring to know that the hospice is here, and I can phone Nurse Line anytime, day or night, and there will be somebody who can offer advice and support.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone for their incredible support and for donating so generously to this excellent cause.”