Lindfield runner Florence Robinson was one of many who ran a marathon on the ‘official’ day of the London Marathon last month.

While that marathon took place with only a handful of selected participants, Florence ran her first ‘London Marathon’ around Lindfield Common!

The secondary school teacher and mother of two had been planning and training for the marathon in April, which then got moved to October, which then got pulled completely. “After restarting my training plan four times during lockdown and contracting an Achilles injury in the summer, I was thrilled to make the run, taking in 43 laps of the Common to reach the 26.2 mile goal,” Florence explained.
“Paula Radcliffe helped me along through my London Marathon app - but the best bit about doing the event virtually and locally was the sheer weight of support from friends, family and strangers who clapped every lap. I was truly overwhelmed by the Lindfield community, whole families coming out in the rain and individuals jogging laps alongside me - so hugely motivational. The atmosphere was incredible despite the damp weather conditions!”

Florence was raising money for the charity Victa, which supports blind children; and so far has raised over £1,800.
“Over the past few years, I have been humbled to work alongside young people with sensory impairments,” said Florence. “Their attitude to learning and life in general is inspiring – they never let their disabilities affect their participation and eagerly get involved alongside their able-bodied friends.”

If you would like to add to her total, you can do so via the official Virgin Money Giving: https://bit.ly/2GVfmpb