Ossett runner raises over £1,500 for Kidney Care UK after running first-ever London Marathon

George Oldroyd, a 27-year-old from Ossett, completed the 26.2 mile event around the capital’s streets on Sunday (April 23) in an impressive time of 3:47:56.

The wind farm developer ran the marathon to raise money for the charity, in honour of his younger sister, Gabrielle who received a kidney transplant aged 11 in 2008, after being diagnosed with Lupus Nephritis in 2005 when she was just seven-years-old.

Speaking at the end of the race George described the marathon as ‘the most amazing and rewarding experience’.

"Every runner with a different story to tell, people of all running abilities coming together with one motive and that was to complete the 26.2 mile course,” he said..

“The support and atmosphere from the crowd is what I enjoyed the most, complete strangers shouting my name, cheering me on and providing me with motivation to keep going.”

The London Marathon attracts thousands of competitors each year, from professional athletes to inspiring amateurs.

This year, the event featured over 48,000 runners, all looking to run and raise money for incredible charities.

"I underestimated how big the event is. I obviously knew it was going to be huge, but the sheer scale of it was overwhelming and something that does not necessarily come across as well on TV,” added George.

"I feel such a great sense of achievement, I was nervous going into the marathon knowing that I had not been given much time to train that I would not do well, or worse still not complete it, so having completed it, despite the physical pain it caused particularly in those latter miles was the most satisfying feeling, it actually felt quite emotional to cross the finishing line. I was super pleased with my time too.”

George is extremely close to reaching his intended donation target of £2,000, having raised £1,500 so far, in which he said was “hugely humbling,” and thanked people for their generosity.

His donation page is still avaliable to donate to here: https://2023tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/george-oldroyd/post/2597493