Running the Florence Marathon for CBF – By Richard Carden

“In November 2008 I ran the Florence marathon to raise money for the Children’s Burns Foundation. My training for the event started 4 months earlier and consisted of a lot of (boring) running. As the weekend of the marathon arrived I felt a mixture of relief and anticipation at the thought of finally having to run the marathon. I flew out from Liverpool and met with some family who had very kindly come out to support me. After much pasta I went to sleep, only to awake at seven in the morning to make my way to the starting area.The weather was wet and grey and thousands of people stood at the start line wearing ponchos waiting for race to begin. The race itself was comfortable and less demanding than I had feared…..until the last 10k. The last 10k it felt as though my knees had been hit with hammers, but through the support of the crowd I managed to finish the race with one of the most satisfying feelings I have ever experienced. In total I raised around 400 pounds through generous donations from friends and family.”