Former TOWIE and Strictly Come Dancing star and Crawley Town footballers set to take on London Marathon

TV presenter, ex-The Only Way Is Essex and Strictly Come Dancing star, and former Crawley defender Mark Wright is back to complete the London Marathon with FLORA again in April, after he successfully crossed the finish line just six months ago in October 2022.

So inspired by his accomplishment and the impact it had on both his physical and mental wellbeing, he’s roped in his family to join him this year too.

Mark’s brother, Josh Wright, who also played for the Reds, is planning to compete in the race this year too. In the spirit of brotherly comradeship, Josh and Mark will be competing together for their fastest time.

Mark made two appearances for Crawley after signing on a non-contact basis in December 2020. The 36-year-old made his debut in the Reds’ shock 3-0 victory against Leeds United in the FA Cup third round in January 2021.

Josh, meanwhile, played 26 times in all competitions for Crawley following his move from Leyton Orient in January 2021.

It was announced that the former Scunthorpe United, Millwall and Gillingham midfielder had left the Reds after his contract was terminated by mutual consent in September 2021.

Josh signed for Billericay Town as a player/coach in November 2021, before moving to Ebbsfleet United in June 2022.

This year Mark will be pushing for a new personal best of three hours and 30 minutes – approximately 12 minutes faster than last year.

Mum, Carol, and dad, Mark senior, have also committed to completing the route at their own pace too and have embarked on a strict exercise plan to increase the number of miles they are completing every few days in the lead up to the race.

After being coached by the legendary Paula Radcliffe last year, Mark has turned from trainee into the trainer, helping mum and dad get into tip-top shape.

The family have been busy training together in Mark’s home gym and venturing out for regular weekend runs and long walks through London.

The Wright family will be cataloguing their fitness journey in a bid to inspire others to make their own healthy life switches.

As part of their training and nutritional regime, they’ve also been using plant-based Flora Plant B+tter in their diet, Flora’s alternative to dairy butter, which can be used as part of a healthy plant-based diet and is known to have beneficial effects on the risk of various diseases, plus it is better for the planet, too.

Mark said: “I was so inspired at last year’s Marathon, that when FLORA asked me to come and be an ambassador once again, it was an absolute no brainer. I had to get my brother involved this year and to rope mum and dad in to making this healthy switch, too.

“The Marathon, and training for it, had such a positive impact on my physical and mental health. And, FLORA’s mission to inspire others to make healthy switches really resonates with me too.”

Mark senior added: “The boys are always on at me to get fitter. I want to do them proud by completing the race too. All the training has been a big adjustment, but it’s been great for my health.”

Carol said: “The boys [Mark and Josh] are, and have always been, very fit and healthy – it’s hard to keep up sometimes!

“Whilst we definitely won’t be at the same pace as them on race day, Mark senior and I are just buzzing to be a part of the experience and whilst I’ve always been relatively healthy and into my walking and yoga, walking 26.2 miles is going to be a healthy switch even further!”

Josh added: “Mark and I have always had a bit of competition when it comes to exercise, especially running. We’ve both run a marathon before and now it’ll be great to run together and see if we can spur each other to quicker times.

“Running for FLORA also makes sense to me as I’ve always lived out a healthy lifestyle including some plant-based eating and it’s great to know that FLORA 100% natural ingredients and FLORA Plant B+tter are both vegan and better for the planet compared to dairy butter too.”

Ian Hepburn, marketing director at Upfield, owner of FLORA said: “FLORA has been feeding UK families for almost 60 years and we are proud of our long standing association with the London Marathon.

“FLORA offers a versatile, delicious plant-based alternative which is better for you and the planet, than dairy butter. In fact, one block of FLORA Plant B+tter, which launched in 2020, has 75% less climate impact than dairy butter.

“We know that FLORA Plant B+tter is better for you and the planet and therefore when we ask people to declare how they are Making Healthy Switches as part of our campaign, we will be driving small, positive changes for everyone.”

For more information on FLORA or FLORA Plant B+tter, visit www.flora.com, or to join in the Making Healthy Switches movement follow @Flora, Mark Wright @wrighty_, Josh Wright @joshwright4444, Carol Wright @carolwright1 and Mark Snr @bigmarkwright or use the hashtags #TeamFlora and #MakingHealthySwitches.