‘Why I’m running the London Marathon’ - Ham&High news editor

Dave Burke running (Image: Archant)

And make no mistake, it’s going to be horrific.

If the last few months have taught me anything, it’s that the human body isn’t designed for running 26 miles.

For every person you see staggering toward the finish line, Sunday is the last stage in a long journey.

What you won’t see on the day are the mornings each participant has spent running in the frost, the months obsessing over what they’re eating, and having their lives dictated by phone apps telling them how far they should be running each day.

There’s also the awkward conversations with friends and loved ones telling them you can’t be at their special occasions because you “really have to run”.

And let’s not forget the real lowlight – the 10km Boxing Day run. It was just awful.

Plus there’s the days spent at my desk with an ice pack to my knee after overdoing it.

This will give you some insight into the moaning my long-suffering colleagues have had to put up with over the last few months.

But then there are also the triumphs – cracking five miles, then ten, then 15 and finally 20.

In my view that’s the beauty of the marathon. It’s a great sporting event, but it’s also a rare chance for the novices to go shoulder-to-shoulder with top athletes from around the world.

Most of the people you see aren’t athletes, they’ve had to fit training around their busy lives and – shock horror – I’ll wager a big chunk of them don’t enjoy running.

But that’s why it is such a special event – most importantly of all, it raises a tremendous amount for good causes.

People will be doing the marathon for all kinds of reasons which are close to their heart.

In my case, I’m proud to be supporting two brilliant charities.

As readers will already know, at the Ham&High we’re supporting The Alexandra Wylie Tower Foundation (AWTF) and the Marie Curie Hampstead Hospice in 2016.

I’ve been lucky over the last few months to find out about each of them, and they’re both wonderful charities.

It was a natural decision to do the marathon for them, and I’ve been really moved by the sponsorship and support I’ve been pledged so far – much of it from people I have never met.

For each runner who crosses the finishing line, however long it takes, it will be a huge achievement.

I’ve accepted that I’m not going to be in a sprint finish with Mo Farah, but I’m going to be delighted to finally cross that finish line.

And I would be over the moon if I can help raise as much as possible for two amazing causes.

Every penny of sponsorship can make a huge difference, and all the money collected will be split 50/50 between the two charities.

You can sponsor me by going to virginmoneygiving.com/daveburke