May 21, 2019

It took dedication, passion and months of training, but this month our London Marathon team came out to run for the rainforest, so far raising a staggering £12,700 as they each ran over 26 miles in support of RFUK.

The seven runners came from a variety of backgrounds and experience levels, from those running their very first marathon all the way up to their thirteenth.

Alex was one of our seven London Marathon runners this year, travelling all the way from Louisiana, USA. We asked her about her motivation for fundraising for RFUK. Here's what she said:

“In 2016, I hiked the Inka Trail to Machu Picchu and was in awe every step of my 30-mile hike. It took me through the Amazon Rainforest, and I saw how beautiful it was and how valuable the land was for the indigenous Peruvian people. Since this trip, I’ve wanted to make an effort to support the sustainability of those beautiful views and the people who call it home. For that reason I decided to lace up my running shoes and run 26.2 miles to support rainforest conservation and human rights with Rainforest Foundation UK. What better way to support a cause that means so much to me!”

Running her first ever marathon was Elin, who works in RFUK's mapping team as GIS, Database and Website Coordinator:

“I'm proud to have run for such an amazing organisation - I’ve been working for RFUK for over a year now and have witnessed first hand the amazing work they do with local communities to help them defend their rights and protect their environment.”

We asked Elin for her top tips to future marathon runners, based on her own experience training for the big day. Here is what she had to say:

1. Don’t overdo the training. If you get injured, don’t stress and take the time to recover.
2. Squat, squat, squat! Make sure you find the time to include strength exercises into your training plan. It will help prevent many of the injuries associated with long distance running.
3. Enjoy yourself! Embrace the atmosphere along the course, as it will all be over before you know it.
4. Sign up now - you won’t regret it!

Our huge thanks go to all of our runners: Ella Andrew, Olivia Lazenby, Juan Manuel, Parvin Sura, Dags Oliwa, Elin Roberts and Alex Hareland!

To join Team RFUK in 2020 and be part of the amazing London Marathon, please email  events@rainforestuk.org or call us on 020 7485 0193 for more information.

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