Ex-rugby players turned “Rye Runners” Ted Wilson and Peter Cross are competing in the London Marathon this Sunday. It’s 30-year-old Ted’s first marathon. A Rye Runners’ member for almost two years, Wilson has completed the Hastings half marathon and Sussex triathlon among other races and is racing this Sunday to raise money for charity – Children With Cancer. Aiming to finish in four hours 15 minutes, Wilson says he is “nervous but excited about the marathon” and the possibility of seeing Formula One driver Jensen Button, also running on Sunday.
Seasoned runner Cross will be completing his 12th London Marathon. He has completed marathons in Paris and New York, as well as “about 20 halfs”.
He says: “You’d think I was rather serious, but in fact it’s a means to an end to keep fit, meet people and participate with 30,000-50,000 like-minded nutters. Some of us are built to run long distance; I was not, as a rugby player that hated all the training. One broken limb too far meant at 47 it was time to hang up the boots and find another way to get out and get fit.”
Well, when you put it like that, it sounds almost easy, doesn’t it? Cross aims to finish Sunday’s race in five hours. We will let you know how they got on next week.
Donate online to Ted Wilson running for Children With Cancer.
Also from Rye and running is Sarah Curd. Very sadly, in 2007, Sarah lost her son, Oliver, to Ewings Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Since then she has run, cycled and skydived to raise funds for the Oliver Curd Trust, a charity set up to provide holiday accommodation for families with children suffering from cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
On Sunday she will be running in aid of the Bone Cancer Research Trust and aiming to raise £2,000 for the charity. So far her total stands at just under that at £1,938 – almost there! Anyone wishing to help her meet her target can donate here.
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Photos: Rye Runners, Peter Cross and Sarah Curd