news & events

• news
• • media releases
  • • Campaigner meets Prime Minister
    • Largest team yet completes British 10K
    • Global food crisis
    • Zimbabwe Update
    • Burma Appeal Update
    • China Quake
    • Burma Appeal Launched
    • Marathon runners raise over £2,000
    • Vice President Visits Grandparents
    • Kenya crisis - appeal for funds
    • President visits Uganda with MRDF
    • Kenya violence - over 255,000 without food or water
    • This Lent, don't just change your light-bulbs, change your life
    • Direct from Addis Ababa to the House of Commons
    • Remembering Zambia this World AIDS Day
    • Conference celebrates going from strength to strength in Africa
    • MRDF supports emergency relief in Mexico
    • Give a small miracle this Christmas
    • Save energy this week with MRDF!
    • Monsoon causes misery across Asia
    • Giant 'carbon footprint' to spark debate at Methodist Conference
    • Fun and fundraising for MRDF's 10k runners
    • MRDF provides aid for Darfur
    • Results for Miracle Marathon runners
    • Saving mothers' lives in Mali
    • Getting to grips with global issues: new schools website launched
    • Indonesia earthquake - MRDF partners respond
    • More than 2,000 Bible verses can't be ignored!
    • Methodist President honoured by 'untouchables'
  • behind the headlines
• events

Results for Miracle Marathon runners

This year, experience met optimism as two very different runners ran the London Marathon for the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF). However different, they both had the same aim: to help make ‘small miracles’ possible in some world’s poorest countries.

Jim Parrish, aged 70, ran his 10th marathon for MRDF on Sunday and completed the course in at 4 hours and 57 minutes, after promising his wife that this would be his last one. He really enjoyed the race and, when asked whether this would be the last one, he said: "I wouldn't say that. It was the last one for this week."

Val Lovett completed her first marathon in 7 hours and 31 minutes, she said: "I knew it was going to be tough but the atmosphere was brilliant right from the start. Docklands was TOUGH but once I hit the Mall I realized I was home and even managed a 'sprint' over the line YIPPEE!!! I just wanted to burst into tears.

Of only two runners for MRDF it gave me determination to complete the course. I celebrated my small miracle by raising money for people who face many tougher things than my one day as a marathon runner."

Val works for MAYC, which supports activities for young people in the Methodist Church, and is running to improve opportunities for young people in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Jim, who worked for 30 years in Africa, raised money through MRDF to help people living with HIV/AIDS in Malawi. The money that he raises will enable orphaned and unemployed young people to support themselves through keeping cows and chickens.

So far, Val and Jim have raised over £2,000 between them. It's not too late to sponsor MRDF's runners!