If you haven’t seen our social media posts before, The Good Food Group’s Founder & MD, Ross Carlin, ran the 2022 London Marathon last weekend – and completed the 42km route in…. drumroll please…. 3 hours and 53 minutes!
All the team here are so proud and would like to congratulate Ross on running the marathon in great time & raising over £2,300+ for Mind in the process.
Why did Ross choose Mind as his charity to run for?
It’s never easy to choose a charity when raising funds, with so many worthy causes available. Ross describes why he decided to raise money for the mental healthy charity below:
“Having suffered myself with mental health issues I know times can be dark and it’s difficult to understand why, or have anyone to talk to. This is why I wanted to raise as much money for mind as I could. If my contribution of running the London Marathon can provide the funds to support just one person who needs the help Mind can provide, then I am incredibly proud and it’s made it all worth while”.
What was the hardest part of the marathon for Ross?
Speaking with Ross in these days after the marathon, the hardest part for him personally was the last 3 miles of the 26.2.
“Extreme dizziness set in, my energy levels were depleted and I was in heaps of pain – there were people who had previously been running next to me stride for stride, passing out and collapsing onto the concrete…”.
It has since been announced that one runner sadly lost his life whilst attempting to complete the marathon. The Good Food Group would like to express our deepest condolences to their friends and family at this difficult time.
What got you through the pain and mental blocks?
Ross talks about how having his close friends & family supporting him at different parts of the race was the thing that kept him going.
“They had a Mansfield Town England Flag that I was constantly looking out for, wondering if I would see it at this mile or the next… I think that’s a great idea to have those supporting you hold up a flag or something that you’ll be able to spot in the huge crowds of people”.
During the marathon, friends and family can track you all the way through using the app and inputting your runner number. It can get so lonely whilst running so having these little moments of support can really make a difference!
Where does it rank in your top life moments/ achievements?
“It was definitely a highlight for me in my life, and I’m proud to have raised so much money for such an important charity in Mind – Mental Health is a serious issue, and one that i’ve advocated for support in my whole life”.
“Life itself is the journey, and these pin point moments – whether they be high or low are simply part of this journey…”
How did you celebrate finishing the race?
“I had a doughnut and a pint with with my friends and family!”
All of us here at The Good Food Group think this was an excellent way for Ross to celebrate his achievement 🍩🍻
Would you recommend running it to other people/ would you do it again?
“Yes and yes. I would do both again as it was a great mental and physical challenge that makes you realise just how much your body is capable of, it’s a great feeling”.
Ross’ two personal pieces of advice are:
- Do at least 1 full marathon, as nothing prepares you for the day and it’s unknown territory if you haven’t done the full distance before. Ross’ suggestion would be to take on 3 runs over 35km in your training.
- As mentioned before, make sure that you have people there with a flag or some kind of recognisable object, so that it’s easy to spot your family and friends supporting you. As well as, make sure your supporters know their route too – so they can be there for you as much as possible.