Vale’s U11 and U13 athletes took part in a marathon challenge this weekend. The event was organised to raise funds for the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity in Aylesbury which provides comprehensive care and support through in-patient and at-home services to local families affected by life-limiting illness across Aylesbury Vale and beyond.
For the challenge, 50 children, split into two teams, were at Stoke Mandeville Stadium on Sunday morning in dry but chilly conditions, along with a healthy crowd of supporters to cheer them on. The event was a 200m relay race which, to cover the marathon distance, meant that each team had to run 105 laps of the track. We are delighted to report that Team A finished in 2:07:32, outside the men’s world record recently set by Kimetto, but well inside Paula Radcliffe’s women’s world record. Team B also put in a huge effort finishing in 2:32:02.
A member of the coaching team said “We are so proud of the children, they worked very hard this morning and in the weeks leading up to it at training. The Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity undertakes such important work, we are thrilled to be associated with it. As the children only train once a week so it will take a few weeks to collect the sponsorship money but we know they have done well for a worthwhile charity.”
The Florence Nightingale Hospice has been providing specialist palliative care across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and parts of Oxfordshire since 1989.
If you would like to donate please visit: www.fnhospice.org.uk