An on-call firefighter from Thorney who is running the London Marathon in memory of his uncle, a popular firefighter from Whittlesey who died last year, has raised more than £2,000 for charity.
Tom Bingley has already beaten his original fundraising target of £1,500, and has a current running total of £2,197. He decided to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation after winning a place in the marathon lottery, in memory of his uncle Malcolm Bean, who served as an on-call firefighter at Whittlesey Fire Station for over 30 years.
Malcolm, a business man with his own estate agents in the town, died suddenly following a cardiac arrest at his home in January last year, aged 57.
Tom said: “My uncle was a very loving and helpful man who always looked out for everyone else.
“It’s really important I do this for my uncle and his family. It is something to remember him by and by doing something for the British Heart Foundation it is a way of trying to save other people’s lives.”
Tom has run half marathons before but said this will be the first time he has completed a full marathon and since January has been training three to four times a week.
“The furthest I have run is 20 miles but they always say it’s the last 6.2 miles that will be the most difficult,” he added.
“I can’t wait for it to be over to be honest with you, just because of the time and effort the training has taken out of me.”
Tom, 27, who works as a salesman at a building supplies firm in Peterborough, said it will be a big thing for him to complete the marathon and he will be thinking of his uncle on the day.
“I probably will feel quite emotional at the end once I’ve completed it.”
Tom’s partner, Lucy, and her brother, Matthew, are going to be there on the day to support Tom, along with his mum Lorraine and her partner and Tom’s dad, Jon, with other family members supporting him at home.
To donate to Tom’s fundraising page click here.
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