Ray Murray the Marathon Man

It was third time lucky for Ray Murray, Apex Lifts’ Repair Sales Consultant as he received the exciting news that he had secured a place in the 2017 Virgin London Marathon. “I was very pleased to receive a ballot place and slightly taken aback when I opened the congratulations email - the odds were certainly stacked against me,”, Murray stated.

Having never ran a marathon before, 51 year old Ray will be tackling the challenging 26.2 miles distance on Sunday 23rd April for his chosen charity, the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children). The charity is renowned for its brilliant work campaigning for child protection in the UK and Channel Islands.   

To help Ray prepare for the race, he joined the Bexley Running Club to train alongside other running enthusiasts and is now on week eight of the Hal Higdon Plan (a popular programme specifically designed for marathon training). Ray has set himself a goal to run a total of 500 miles and has so far achieved an amazing 230 miles!

“The furthest I’d ran before this challenge was just 10k, so the marathon is going be very tough”, said Murray. “Joining a running club has definitely helped. The members are really friendly and have been giving me the encouragement and boost I need.”

Outside the club, Ray has been getting plenty of support from his friends, family and colleagues and has been taking regular trips to the local sports therapist to stop those aches and pains.  Ray’s wife Lisa has been by his side throughout his training regime, ensuring he eats the right foods.

“Lisa has been incredible, making sure I’m fuelled up during my training sessions, especially with chicken and pasta dishes. I’m still treating myself on the odd occasion and having a pint or two at the weekend to relax.”  After all that hard work Ray, we think you deserve it!

“We are rooting for Ray in the office,” said Warren Jenchner, Managing Director at Apex Lifts. “He is driven and determined to succeed and we wish him the best of luck for the race - all of us will be cheering him on.”

To support Ray and the NSPCC visit his Virgin Money Giving page here.

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