BUSINESSMAN RAISES OVER £1,500 FOR CHARITY BY RUNNING HIS OWN PERSONAL MARATHON

LOCAL businessman John Williams and his running mate Leigh Martin have run their own marathon around Chippenham and raised more than £1,500 for charity.

John, who is the co-founder of heating and plumbing company John Williams Heating Services, was joined by running mate Leigh Martin on Sunday September 27 on their marathon course around the town and surrounding villages – on the day when they should have been running the Berlin Marathon. John was fundraising for the British Heart Foundation. 

John (51) and Leigh had been training for months for their first ever marathon when Covid19 led to the 2020 German event being cancelled. Undeterred they decided to run a marathon anyway so that their months of training did not go to waste. 

“It was tough going running a marathon for the first time,” John said. “I could not have done it without my running buddy Leigh and many thanks to my wife Debbie and Leigh’s wife Gail for their support in the days leading up to the challenge. I’d like to thank our support crew on the day especially our coach Nicky Finch of Maxwell Coaching. Also a huge shout out to those who came to run with us on various stretches of the course.”

Leigh said: “It was a beautiful day for a tough run - 26.2 miles is a long way! It was great to see so many supporters out on the course and to have some running and cycling along with us. It is also fantastic so many have supported us by donating to the British Heart Foundation.”

The pair set off at 7am and ran a circuit which took them through Pewsham, Foxham, Langley Burrell, Biddestone and Chippenham. John was raising money for the BHF in memory of his dad Steve who passed away suddenly three years ago.

Through various charity events and challenges, John and Debbie have already raised close to £10,000 in Steve’s memory. This event alone raised over £1,500 even though John’s modest target was just £100. 

“I cannot thank people enough for donating to encourage two blokes to run around the streets and lanes of Wiltshire on a Sunday in September. I’m humbled by the way in which our friends and business buddies have got behind this personal challenge,” John said. 

John and Debbie are well known as the founders of John Williams Heating Services, based on the Bumpers Farm Industrial Estate. The company is a Worcester accredited installer, Gas Safe registered and a member of Oftec, the trade association monitoring best practice in oil heating installation and repair. Anyone who still wishes to support John can visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/john-williams136

*image shows John Williams (right) and Leigh Martin, who ran their own marathon #ChippenhamNotTheBerlinMarathon on Sunday. 

John Williams Heating Services is based on the Bumpers Farm Industrial Estate in Chippenham. For more details visit http://jwheating.co.uk