Neil Greig has set himself a new target of raising £10,000 for Havens Hospices after shaving two minutes off his previous time over the Virgin Money London Marathon course last Sunday. For the second-year running Neil joined nearly 40,000 runners in tackling the streets of London in the name of competition, fun, and charity. After raising nearly £6,000 for Havens Hospices, an end of life respite care charity based in Essex, last year Neil set his sights this year on raising £8,000 for Charity. Once again Neil was helped by generous donations from supporters, staff, and players, some of whom promised to double, or even triple, their sponsorship if Neil beat his time of three hours 23 minutes from last season.
After finishing Sunday's course in three hours 21 minutes, Neil was able to smash through his original target of £8,000 and look towards an even more ambitious total.
"With it being the second time that I'd attempted the London marathon I was definitely less nervous in the build up this year," said Neil. "However, this didn't prevent me having a sleepless night on Saturday night! Conditions on Sunday were just about perfect, albeit cold at the start, but once we got going the earlier chills were soon forgotten. In contrast to last year, I started really solidly and coasted with the crowds to Tower Bridge without issue. This consistency continued until the turn for home at 21 miles when the wheels slowly began to come off. The last four to five miles were a combination of the mental battle, with my body telling my mind to stop, and the support of the crowds driving the runners forwards. "Along birdcage walk was the added boost of seeing my wife Kate and daughter Eve there to cheers me along, and the final 385 yards to the finish, the exhilaration of knowing that Sam Saunders was going to have to treble his donation due to me having beaten my previous time. Since the race, as the pain and stiffness in my legs has increased and so have the generous donations from family, friends and Brentford colleagues alike. We have currently raised around £8600 for Havens Hospices' which is fantastic and I can't thank everyone enough for the their support. Havens is a charity that is very dear to me and the families of the children under its care and I'd like to push that over the £10000 mark if we can. Brentford fans have already been so generous, and I'd ask them to dig deep if they can to support this fantastic organisation"
Havens Hospice is a charity that that provides respite and care for adults and children nearing the end of their lives. When a family has been told that there's no cure for their loved one's illness, Havens Hospices can help. The charity can make the journey as comfortable as possible, controlling pain and medication, offering respite and caring for adults and children at the end of their lives. They offer free specialist care - for as long as is needed - within the home and at two hospices. Haven Hospices is not part of the NHS and receives limited government funding. The hospices can only exist because of the support and generosity of the community.
To support Havens Hospice and Neil, you can donate to Neil's Just Giving page here