A March man, who works as the press officer for RAF Wittering, is in training to raise money for three different charities in the Virgin London Marathon.
Ed Palmer is preparing to run the 26 miles of the 2017 event, which will be the second time he has run the popular marathon.
Ed, 44, has been the media and communications officer at Wittering for nearly four years said that working at Cambridgeshire’s well-known station has opened his eyes to the amazing work of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, which is the first of the three charities he is supporting.
Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association are the other two organisations.
This is the second time Ed has run the London marathon, having completed it in 2008.
He said: “I’m not the fittest or the quickest, but running has been an important part of my life.
“At March Athletic Club Ed I met who is now my wife, Emma.
“Emma’s mum, Elaine, was taken by Alzheimer’s disease which is why I chose Alzheimer’s Research UK
The final charity is the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association, an organisation which provides social care and real-life support for deaf people and their families.
“This choice is very close to home as my parents and nephew are profoundly deaf,” he said.
“Preparing for the London Marathon means lots of time on your feet and company is always good when training.
“I have a strong network of fellow runners. March Athletics Club take their long runs on a Sunday morning and, during the week, I run with colleague, squadron leader Mary Temple.
“Sometimes the weekend will begin on a Friday night with a 10K run between March and Doddington with running buddy Paul Roberts, who ran the London Marathon last year for Anthony Nolan.
“There’s still a long way to go yet and plenty more miles to do before I’m marathon ready, but I’m hopeful that it’s all still possible and that we can raise some serious money for these charities.”
Group Captain Rich Pratley is the Station Commander at RAF Wittering. He said: “Ed’s working hard to get ready for the London Marathon and I’m pleased for him.
“Ed’s RAF colleagues are actively supporting his training programme and with some perseverance I’m sure he’ll do very well for the three charities he’s chosen.”
• You can donate via the Virgin Money Giving website at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EdPalmer.
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