I'm fundraising for... my maritime colleagues and friends, past and present
On 26 April 2026, I’ll be ignoring my late‑50s aging bones and taking on the challenge of running the London Marathon. I’m doing it to continue and honour the legacy of my father, Derek, who passed away in March 2025.
He was a lifelong supporter of King George’s Fund for Sailors (KGFS), the former name of The Seafarers’ Charity—an organisation that provides essential support to those who work at sea and their families.
The Seafarers’ Charity works tirelessly to improve lives, whether through emergency assistance, mental health support, or helping families stay connected.
Please be kind and generous in your sponsorship. Every donation helps extend the reach of this vital work and, moreover, will make my blisters and aches feel worthwhile. I’m already looking forward to the pint afterwards.
My Updates
Done it !
Tuesday 28th Apr
The run was harder than expected - not surprising with the stupid toe injury. But I also blame a really hot day, and a few decades too old to be doing such madness. I finished in 4:28 + around 5 mins of stops to say hi to family and friends on the way around.
The beer at the end onboard HMS WELLINGTON was fabulous. Seafarers UK looked after all the runners really well.
Again, thank you to all of you for supporting the charity. Share
Final long training run done - phew
Saturday 11th Apr Its been a few weeks since I posted. A week away skiing meant loosing 2 weekends of training but returning with a broken big toe put my race day in jeapordy. (Don't ask, my own stupid fault and not on the slopes!!). So, over the last 2 weeks a few gentle runs with plenty of strapping and even more Paracetomol and Ibruprofen than usual. Today I felt brave - and just knew I had to get out there. On with the shiny new Seafarers' UK shirt, a pocket of gels and Caramel bars and hobbled 36km. But I made it. Race day may be slower than I would have wished for but I am now confident that I will make it to the end. And boy am I looking forward to that first pint at the end......or do I stop at half way ?? Share
Getting longer.....
Monday 9th Mar
On Sunday 8 Mar had a weird experience - a run without rain. In fact, a cool morning with mist and gentle breeze. Did it help me run further? probably not. But 35km in the bag with the help of a few gels and an energy bar.
Share
And still it rains
Sunday 1st Mar
30km !
Monday 23rd Feb Managed 30km on Sunday 22 Feb. And guess what, it rained throughout. I am now realising I am mad and 42km is a lot more than my usual park run distances: blisters and bleeding toe nails yesterday. I have ordered new shoes. Share
Slogging it out....
Sunday 8th Feb
The training has started
Monday 26th Jan
Thank you to my Sponsors
£500
Bmt
£106
Jan & Chris
Good luck Adrian. Hope it all goes well with your broken toe and we will be thinking of you. Your father would be so proud of you. Love from us both Jan and Chris x
£100
Tim
Pleased you've made your target. Hope the weather is kind !!
£100
Hudson
£100
Alex Long
Sub 3hrs or my money back
£100
Zoe
Well done Dad!! Enjoy the training... And the recovery pints even more so
£53.32
S K
Good luck Monty!
£53.32
Siobhan
Good luck for tomorrow!
£53.32
Andrew Bell
Great cause Monty! Best of luck, and let us know where to buy you that pint...
£53.32
Tom Beard
Good luck Monty, a well deserved beer at the end.
£53.32
Paul Burke
Monty, Enjoy the ride (if only!)
£53.32
Rick
Good luck, it's a great cause, and legacy. And if you run like you ski there's no stopping you...!
£53.32
Emma Oneill
Good luck Monty!
£53.32
Dave B
A tremendous effort for a very worthy cause. I was thinking of you pounding the streets as I was out side the pub in the sun yesterday, at which point I remembered I hadn't thrown into the collection hat. Huge effort. Much applause.
£53.32
Martin Bissuel
£52.12
Rachel
£50
Laura Symonds
Better late than never. Amazing job, Monty.
£50
Tony Keeling
Have a great run Monty - don't do yourself any damage 😉
£50
Adam, Emma, Jacob And Benji Northover
Fantastic cause Monty; we'll be rooting for you every step of the way. Best of luck.
£50
Becky Stanley 07792629349
Selfie poses need some work!!
£50
Tim, Claire, Lucy & Josh Xxxx
Run Monty Run!! Dont forget your trainers!!
£50
Tristan
£50
Nick Martin
Good luck Monty.
£50
Vanessa Long
Good luck xxx
£50
Nicholas Jenner
Hi Monty, you can do this, just remember that the hardest part of any run is leaving your front door!
£50
Paul Haycock
Good on you Monty - great cause as well.
£50
Sarah P
Go Monty!
£42
Ross Mansfield
£1 for every km!
£32.23
Andrew Russell
Go for it Monty!
£30
Rupert Hare
Give it some, Monty.
£30
Portia Otoo
Good Luck Monty!! So proud!! your going to smash it :)
£27.05
Gareth Taylor
Run Forrest run 😊 Great cause Monty, and it will be a fantastic inspirational day. Enjoy every mile!
£27.05
Guy T
Good luck Monty!
£27.05
David Dring
Go for it Monty. Great cause to support. Make sure you weigh anchor before the starting gun. ATB.
£25
Karen Sanders
Well done, Monty!
£25
Al S
Great work Monty. Good luck
£25
Nick
Just remember the hardest step is getting out the front door. You can do this it’s only a marathon!
£25
Sarah Watkins
A great endeavour for a very worthwhile cause, your dad would be proud.
£21.84
John Buckingham
Well done Monty! Only ~363 days to the next one!
£21.84
Julian Woolley
Good luck Monty. A great challenge for a good cause.
£21.84
Trev D
Run like the wind, Monty!
£21.84
Simon Kidd
£21.84
Bruce Russell
Go for it Monty!
£21.84
Con Burns
You’ve got this Monty, legs are temporary, bragging rights last forever 🏃♂️💪
£21.84
Harry Wormstone
Get yourself a Pan au Chocolat with your pint. This should be enough for better delivery than previously. Best of luck out there !
£21.84
Matthew Gibson
Great cause. I am sure it will a walk in the park for you!
£21.84
Ben Randell-sly
£21.84
Jenni Williamson
Good luck Monty, especially with the temporary alcohol ban!
£21.84
Johanna
Fab cause. Wishing you the best of luck
£21.84
Ancia
All the best for your marathon!
£21.84
Sarah G
Wishing you the very best of luck for the marathon! You’re doing something incredible for such a great cause — cheering you on all the way!
£21.84
Alan
Go Monty Go
£21.84
Bruce Clements
£21.84
Takashi Yonenaga
All the best, Monty!
£21.84
Eshan
Go Monty!! Good luck, Eshan
£21.84
Matt Hart
Go for it Monty! I may join you...for the pint afterwards!
£21.36
Maria Silva
Run Monty Run ! Good luck !
£20
Andrew Aldrich
Good luck old boy. Great cause.
£20
Laura B
Good luck Monty!
£20
Seamus Brogan
Good Luck Monty!
£20
Lynsey Greenwod
Good luck Monty, and if I were you I would definitely stop for a pint half way! Amazing progress despite the broken toe!!! x
£20
Colleen
Best of luck Monty, well done for such a good cause.
£20
Simon Cook
You can do it Monty! If you manage to do it with a broken toe that will be mightily impressive!
£20
Edyta Redfern
Good luck!
£20
Martyn Baker
Good luck Monty. Remember it's only one front in front of the other. You can do this.
£20
Carol Anne Knight
Well done Monty, hope the foot heals in time.
£20
Ian Mcfarlane
hope the foot recovers in time Monty
£20
Shane
Great cause. Good luck Monty.
£20
Marie-christine Halle
Best of luck with this amazing challenge! What you’re doing to honour your dad and support The Seafarers’ Charity is truly inspiring. Hope the run goes brilliantly!
£20
Chloe
I hope the toe holds up, good luck!!
£20
Tom Chant
enjoy the gentle jog around town 😬
£20
Will Alexander
Top tip: keep going!
£16.56
Mark Jordan
Good luck Monty!
£11.33
Helen Eastwood
Best of luck Monty! I will be there to cheer my daughter on, but if I see you, I will be cheering you too!
£11.09
Alex Aitken
Congratulations Monty! Hope the tow (and the rest of you) is OK/recovering? Great pic of the post-run beer!
£11.09
Rebecca Osborn
Good luck!
£10
Nick Johnson
All the very best of luck Monty! Getting to the start line is a huge acheivement in itself - those training runs sound brutal!!
BMT is proud to match fund £500 in support of your London Marathon run. An incredible effort, we’re behind you all the way!