Cabot recently caught up with two staff members after the marathon season to see how they prepared mentally and physically, how they made it to the finish line, and who they raised money for.

  • Name: David
  • Events: Brighton Marathon
  • Charities: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
  • David raised: £1482.50
  • Cabot matched: £1482.50
  • Total raised: £2,965

David ran the Brighton Marathon to raise money for a friend’s son who was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a disease that affects 100 boys in the UK every year.

He didn’t stop at the Brighton Marathon, he also competed in the Sevenoaks Triathlon two weeks later. Over to him;

“When the day of the Brighton Marathon finally dawned, it started surprisingly calmly. A quiet drive down and a short walk to the starting area, all when the sun was starting to warm things up was perfect. The organisation and pre-race entertainment were great and I eagerly entered my starting pen to get a good spot near the front.

As the race started, I felt good, enjoying the streets of Brighton with plenty of crowd support. The route soon took us out of town and I settled in with the group which set me up for a 3 hour 10 min finish. So far, I was comfortable and the race was going to plan…

The route winded back away from the sea and, as I approached the 16-mile marker, I could feel the wind building and my pace slipping, but I hung onto my target pace.

I then got to Shoreham power station at mile 22, it is notorious for having little crowd support here, and, unfortunately, there was an evil headwind for the last four miles along the seafront. I had nothing left in the tank and my pace fell through the floor.

Approaching the final mile, I realised I still had a chance at getting a personal best, I dug deep and found what little reserves I had left to cross the finish line in 3 hours 21 minutes. Two minutes better than my London time two years ago, runners will know that beating a personal best is a great achievement!

What is the Duchenne Dash?

Duchenne attacks the muscles and in most cases mobility is lost by the age of 10, eventually attacking the lungs and heart - leading to a shortened life expectancy.

Although affecting 1 in 3600 boys, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is classed as a rare disease. Around 100 boys are born with DMD in the UK every year. Worldwide, this is around 54 every single day.

In total it affects 300,000 worldwide. Unlike most disorders, Duchenne occurs across all races and nationalities, with no effective treatment for the majority. In order to raise much needed funds for this campaign, the Duchenne Dash took place - a 250 mile bike ride from London to Paris in under 24 hours.

Find out more about the Duchenne Dash

  • Name: Scott
  • Events: London Marathon
  • Charities: Dementia Revolution
  • Scott raised: £385.50
  • Cabot matched: £385.50
  • Total raised: £771

Scott joined the Dementia Revolution thanks to Cabot and Virgin Money’s working relationship. He went from having his name added to the ballot box, to being picked to represent Cabot in the official charity team for the London Marathon. As well as this, he was also able to raise money for both the Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK.

I started training quite early, pre-Christmas, but unfortunately, I had an IT related injury that set me back until late January. I managed to put in a few training runs and reached a distance of 22 miles around six weeks before the marathon before stopping abruptly.

I started the marathon quickly, running the first 5 km in 22 minutes and keeping that pace through the 10km mark. The support from the crowds was phenomenal and it really helped keep my pace consistent up to the 17-mile mark. That was when my legs started to hurt, for the first time on the run.

Mentally, I was still in the game, my energy levels were high as I was gorging on sweets from people offering them out on route. At mile 20, that old IT hand injury started coming back but a combination of adrenaline, the support from the Dementia Revolution team, the crowds and my family helped spur me on to complete the marathon in 3 hours 24 minutes and 31 seconds.”

“I am grateful to Cabot and Virgin for giving me the opportunity to take part in one of the best marathons in the world and to all the support that Dementia Revolution has given me before, during and after the event.

What is Dementia Revolution?

Dementia is the biggest health threat facing society and there are currently no effective treatments to slow, prevent or cure it. Dementia Revolution is a unique opportunity to power the most ambitious dementia research endeavour the UK has ever seen.

By joining forces for a year long campaign, the Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer's Research UK are hoping to power ground-breaking dementia research, overthrow old attitudes and lead the charge towards a cure.