St Giles CEO completes 19-mile training run with London Marathon fortnight away
St Giles Hospice CEO Elinor Eustace has completed her final long training run before the London Marathon, covering an impressive 19 miles as her fundraising reaches 73 per cent of target.
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With just a fortnight to go until the iconic event on Sunday, 27 April, Elinor has been stepping up her training while managing the physical challenges that come with marathon preparation.
In a recent update on her JustGiving page, Elinor shared: "I completed my last long run, reaching 19 miles before deciding to stop due to some hip pain that began around nine miles in. I made the tough decision to call it a day at that point to avoid risking injury so close to the marathon."
Elinor's fundraising efforts have now reached an impressive £1,938, representing 73 per cent of her £2,620 target - a figure chosen to represent £100 for every mile of the 26.2-mile challenge.
She added on her fundraising page: "Running a marathon is not just about the event itself. It's months of training, dealing with injuries, tears, rain-soaked runs, blisters, and quite frankly, putting other parts of your life on hold to get the miles in - that's the real marathon! Every donation, no matter how small, is genuinely getting me through every step of this journey."
Her previous 16-mile training run took her from St Giles Hospice in Whittington to their Sutton Coldfield site on Lindridge Road and back again, symbolically connecting the hospice's key locations and highlighting the geographical spread of St Giles' care across the communities it serves.
The challenge holds personal significance for Elinor, whose own connection with hospice care began in 1998 when her grandmother received end-of-life care. This experience, combined with her aunt's later journey, ultimately led her to a career in the hospice sector.
"Every mile I run and every pound raised will help support local families when they need us most," Elinor said. "Whether it's £32 funding an hour of inpatient care, £66 covering a specialist nurse home visit, or £768 providing 24 hours of end-of-life care - the support we've received so far has been incredible."
The fundraising initiative comes at a crucial time for St Giles Hospice, which has served the community for over 40 years. In 2024, the hospice faced significant challenges, including reducing inpatient beds from 23 to 15 due to financial pressures.
To support Elinor's London Marathon challenge, visit justgiving.com/page/elinor-london-marathon.
