Record high raised for London Ambulance Charity following impressive half marathon feat

London Ambulance Service (LAS) clinicians, volunteers and members of the public took on a new challenge this weekend and ran a half marathon raising an astounding – and record high £11,825 – for the organisation’s charity.

Their incredible achievement will directly fund life-saving equipment, CPR training and vital wellbeing initiatives for the staff who work tirelessly to keep Londoners safe.

In total, 19 runners ran in the London Landmarks Half Marathon event on Sunday 6 April which sees more than 16,000 runners take to the streets. The race took them past some of London’s most iconic landmarks, including St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and the Houses of Parliament, as they powered through a 13.1-mile course to raise the £11,825 for the London Ambulance Charity – a new record high from this event for the charity.

Team Manager Chris Wardlaw, was one of the 19 #TeamLAS runners who took part in the 13.1 miles race across the City of London and Westminster. He completed the race in two hours 26 minutes and 46 seconds.

Chris, whose completion of the half marathon was the fifth event he has undertaken in support of the London Ambulance Charity, said: “There is always an overwhelming sense of achievement and relief whenever you complete an event no matter what it is. You are physically and emotionally drained, as well as proud that you have been able to complete the event and also that you have not let down the people who have supported you through the training and sponsorship.

“I take part in these events as I want to support my colleagues and I like to challenge myself. I never tell my team that I am competing in these events as I don’t want to let them down if I don’t finish –although it’s not happened to date! I only ever tell close colleagues that I have finished so if they see me hobbling around they know why.

“I feel that with all the pressures that are currently on the service, my peers and all staff in the LAS if I can raise a little bit of money to support the Welfare Charity then I will do so.”

Jessica Burgess, Head of Charity, said: “The London Landmarks Half Marathon event has been amazing and I want to congratulate everyone who took part in this impressive challenge!

“This was a very memorable event and gave our runners a spectacular opportunity to pass some of London’s most iconic landmarks, while fundraising in honour of the amazing impact of our charity on those who participated.

“The runners raised an incredible amount of money for the London Ambulance Charity which we know will make a massive impact to Londoners and help our staff who strive to do their best to keep those in the capital safe.”

LAS Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles said: ”A huge congratulations to the 19 runners who took part in the London Landmarks half marathon. It’s a really challenging feat for all! Their dedication to supporting the charity speaks volumes about the commitment our staff and Charity supporters have to making a difference.

“This event was a great way to highlight the brilliant work of our charity and the support it provides to our hard-working crews so they can continue to succeed in their work across the capital.”

The challenge doesn’t stop there: 10 further runners, including LAS Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles,  are also gearing up for the 26 mile London Marathon event at the end of this April to raise more funds for the charity.

You can still sponsor #TeamLAS runners on the JustGiving page here or you can support those running in the London Marathon on 27 April here.

For more information about supporting London Ambulance Charity please visit www.londonambulancecharity.org.uk.