Virtual London Marathon run for Horsham Ladies Rugby teammates

Gina Leadbeatter and Kate Leyshon will be running half marathons independently around Horsham (13.1 miles) before meeting at Horsham Rugby Club to do laps of their home pitch for the second half of the marathon on Sunday, October 4.

There, the ladies hope to be joined by other teammates who will take on a mile each and make a donation to Gina and Kate’s chosen charities – CLIC Sargent and Children Looked After in London.

Gina said: “I have to admit I didnt think we would take part in the virtual marathon. Kate and I discussed it when it was looking like London wouldn’t be happening in its usual format and thought we would just defer to next year. Doing 26.2 miles alone and no crowd filled us both with dread!

“Our ladies rugby team encouraged us that they had absolute faith that we could both complete the course and would support us on those later miles by running with us.

“Kate and I have a great competitive friendship which really spurs us on and off the pitch. The whole team have really been focusing on fitness throughout lockdown ready for the beginning of the season.

“We are taking on the challenge to recieve our finisher medals but also to carry on supporting our charities which have taken a massive funding hit during the coronavirus.

“It looks like it’s going to be a great challenge and salvage something great out of what has been a difficult year for everyone.”

Gina isn’t a stranger to running, having taken on the London Marathon in 2018 and this year she did the 2.6 Challenge in April, three-legged alongside her husband Simon and raised more than £2,500 for CLIC Sargent – and she is keen to continue supporting the charity.

She said: “This year is my 11th year in remission from ovarian cancer and I plan on squeezing the most out of every day. I want to keep setting myself challenges raising money and awareness.”

Kate will also be supporting a cause close to her heart and both ladies are hoping to raise more than £1,000.

Kate said: “As headteacher of the Virtual School for Children Looked After in Sutton, I’m running the London Marathon to be a positive healthy role model for our children, promote enrichment education, increase awareness of Virtual School work and to get improved opportunities for Children Looked After and Care Leavers to access big sporting events such as the London Marathon.

“It all seems a bit surreal that we are now doing the Marathon virtually but it should be a really good day for us to come together as a team to support us through the long miles.

“It will be amazing to still be able to raise some money for some great causes and certainly gives us a focus for the next few months to get fit, which will only benefit our rugby too. “

To donate to Gina’s chosen charity visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gina-leadbeatter4

To donate to Kate’s, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kate-leyshon?utm_source=Facebook

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