Barry News

Barry man's Marathon effort for local RNLI!

By Chris Seal

8:50am Friday 27th January 2012

A BARRY Dock Lifeboat crew member has been inspired to run the London Marathon in aid of the RNLI, after two years volunteering with the lifesaving organisation.

Ed Jones, 34, hopes to raise more than £2,300 by completing the 26.2mile run in April.

"I have always had aspirations to run the London Marathon," he said.

"I applied for the previous two years but didn’t get a place, so I really wanted to do it this time, especially as it’s an Olympic year."

Ed, of The Knap, has been a volunteer crew member at Barry Dock for two years and said he enjoys ‘knowing you are making a difference, and being there to help people in trouble’.

"I enjoy all the training that goes with it too, including the helicopter exercises we did recently," he added.

"It’s great being part of the crew and they are a good bunch of lads."

Ed works for the Vale Council’s IT Networks team, and said he is coping well with juggling the day job and his RNLI volunteer duties, "They allow me to answer call-outs in the day as special leave," he said.

He is also juggling marathon training with playing football for Sully Sports FC, where he is club captain.

"I’ve won the league twice with Sully but we haven’t been promoted as we failed the ground criteria one year and lost in the play-offs in the other," he said.

"My one burning ambition is to get Sully promoted to the Welsh League. If I could do that it would make the year for me."

And marathon training is going well, added Ed.

"I usually have a month off the booze in January so it has worked out well!" he said.

"I’ve done a couple of six mile runs, an 11 miler and I’m hoping to do a 15 miler soon.

"I’ve run the Cardiff Half Marathon twice, in 2009 and 2010, as well as the Great North Run in 2009.

"I did those in about 1hour 30minutes, so if I could do the marathon in double, that would be great - but as long as I’m under four hours, that’s my main goal."

Ed is writing a weekly blog as he prepares for the marathon – follow it on http://edrnli2012.blogspot.com You can also keep up to date with his challenge via Twitter @Ed_RNLI_Ldn2012.

To sponsor Ed online go to: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ed2012 If you are a local business and want to sponsor Ed on his London Marathon effort contact him on 07967599264 or 01446 749612.

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