A LYMM man wants to run the London Marathon at the age of 70 in 2021 after completing the famous race for the third time at the weekend.
John Bamforth, 65, has raised almost £3,000 for Asthma UK for his efforts, which saw him finish the race in four hours 34 minutes, 59 seconds – ahead of new Top Gear presenter and Warrington’s favourite son, Chris Evans, and ex-footballer Clarke Carlisle.
Living with asthma since he was a baby, John previously run the London Marathon in 1991 and 2009.
John said: “I have had asthma since I was a baby and I remember sitting on my grandmother’s knee having great difficulty breathing.
“As a young child I frequently used to wake up at night having asthma attacks. As a result of asthma in my early years my lung capacity has been severely impaired.
“I have benefitted greatly from the development of asthma medication over many years and this has helped me in sporting activities and my everyday life. Without the medication now available I could not have lived my life as fully as I now enjoy it.”
“I had planned this would be my last Marathon but now I’m thinking of going again in 2021 when I will be 70.”
In the meantime, John will be doing the Lymm Trail Race 10k in July and the Warrington Half Marathon in September.
Asthma UK funds world-leading research to find better treatments and ultimately a cure for asthma, which is so desperately needed as tragically every day the lives of three families are devastated by the death of a loved one to an asthma attack. Research shows that two thirds of asthma deaths are preventable.
Kerry Johns, Head of Events and Community Fundraising at Asthma UK, said: “I’d like to say a big thank you and congratulations to John for running the London Marathon for us.
“Every 10 seconds someone has a potentially life-threatening asthma attack in the UK, which is why we fund research to help develop new treatments and ultimately a cure for asthma.
“We are solely funded by public donations, so we simply wouldn’t be able to continue with our work without people like John and our team of fantastic runners.”
You can donate to John’s cause by visiting: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JohnBamforth
