Alan Reynolds, a busy accountant from the Derbyshire is taking on the iconic London Marathon in order to raise funds to support Friends of the Lake District and help to protect the stunning Lake District landscapes he, and we, feel so passionate about. 

Please help encourage him along and sponsor him today!

We caught up with Alan and asked him why he's taking on this incredible challenge. 

Why are you running the London Marathon?
I’ve always been tempted to run a marathon and when the opportunity arose, I thought now was as good a time as any and if you’re going to run one it may as well be one of the biggest. Plus I get to see most of the London sights in one run!

Why are you fundraising for Friends of the Lake District?
I really appreciate the work that you do in the protection and conservation of the Lake District. The area is so beautiful and yet so fragile, I can't imagine what it would look like now were it not for all the work Friends of the Lake District have done in the last 80+ years. Whatever I can do to help you continue this is something I am more than happy to do, particularly as I am not able to volunteer as often as I would like.

What’s your favourite place in the Lakes and why?
It’s hard to narrow it down to one place but if I had to pick one spot, it would be Black Crag. It's one of the first fells I walked up in the Lakes and just feels really special to me. I was spending time with my friends walking around Tarn Hows which led to a wander up Black Crag. Although not a strenuous walk we'd had a great time just getting lost in the landscape and chatting and enjoying each other's company, when we got up to the top I was astounded at what an incredible view I had for such little effort. The fells around us were lit up with warm autumnal sun and we sat and ate our sandwiches in silence, just drinking it all in. It doesn’t get much better than that. We had fun trying to get round a few belted galloways that were blocking the path too! 

Have you ever done something like a marathon before?
Not really. I have done a couple of half marathons before and I did a sponsored walk around 22 local cricket grounds in Derbyshire and Cheshire a few years ago - that was 60 miles but was split over 2 days so I’m definitely jumping in at the deep end. I started doing 'parkruns' just over two and a half years ago and got the running bug from there. I’m now onto my 100^th 'parkrun', having completed ones in Denmark, Australia and New Zealand. It’s that sense of freedom that I really enjoy. My love of running has got to the point when I am going away for a weekend one of the first things I do is look to see what the nearest 'parkrun' is. I need to do some form of exercise as I have a real sweet tooth.

What do you think will be your biggest challenge?
I really enjoy the physical challenge and pushing my body to see what it’s capable of. Also I know a few people who are running it this year so the competitive streak in me might appear at some point! Getting used to running the longer distances will be my biggest challenge though I think. I typically run between 5km and 10km so 42km is a bit of a jump. Any tips for nursing my body through this will be gratefully received ...

If you'd like to support Alan you can sponsor him online here, or send a cheque in to Friends of the Lake District, Murley Moss, Kendal, LA9 7SS.