A Harrogate man has raised more than £6,700 for local charity Henshaws after completing the London Marathon.
20-year-old Will Cotton took on the iconic race on Sunday 21st April, completing it in 3 hours and 56 minutes.
And he managed to raise £6,750 for Henshaws in the process - a local charity that supports people with a range of disabilities.
The youngster was following in the footsteps of his father, well-known local hotelier Simon Cotton, who also ran the race for Henshaws back in 2012.
Will said:
“I remember my Dad running the London Marathon and he still talks about it now being one of his best personal life achievements.
“Since then, I’ve grown up thinking I’d love to take on the challenge myself and when the opportunity came up to run for the same amazing local charity that he did all those years ago, it just seemed to be the perfect opportunity.
“We’ve had a lot of banter about fundraising targets but more about me beating his time and that was a definite goal I had throughout my training otherwise I’d never had heard the end of it!”
London Marathon 2024! 👑
— Will Cotton (@DznWill) April 22, 2024
Can't quite put into words how amazing of an experience that was and how grateful I am for all the kind words and donations. With that I managed to finish in 3:56:29 and we have managed to raise £6500 for @Henshaws!! Absolutely insane.#LondonMarathon pic.twitter.com/LO8NDJA0J7
Will managed to achieve that goal last Sunday in London after lining up alongside 60,000 others, beating his dad’s time by 25 minutes.
He added:
“I really wanted sub-4 [hours] so was pleased to achieve it and the atmosphere on the day was electric!
“Most important to me though was being able to finish safely and ensure I delivered for all the people who have so generously sponsored me and helped me raise the incredible sum of £6,750 for Henshaws.
“My Mum and Dad have been brilliant in getting their friends and business contacts to back me in my efforts so I’m very grateful to them and everyone who has helped achieve such an amazing total.”
An emotional moment at the end with a little tear. Sooo proud of my boy Will. @LondonMarathon complete in 3.56.29 ⏰ with over £6,000 raised for @Henshaws #Charity too!! Well done Will, you are amazing 🤩 🙌👌🤩🙏 pic.twitter.com/Jr0a7Am2O6
— simon cotton (@simoncotton69) April 21, 2024
Will was one of seven runners who took on the London Marathon on behalf of Henshaws, collectively raising over £20,000 for the charity.
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