Melton man close to £10K target after London Marathon run

John Houghton, who is 58, pounded the streets of the capital to complete the 26.2-mile course in an impressive three hours and 55 minutes.

He ran with a photo on his t-shirt of late brother, Nick, who tragically died from a heart attack in March last year aged 63.

His efforts have generated thousands of pounds in sponsorship for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

John, who felt that ‘Nick was with me the whole way’, said after the race: “Taking part in the London Marathon for the British Heart Foundation, was such a huge challenge and an incredible experience.

"The atmosphere around the course was electric and it was amazing having so many people cheering me on, it made me even more determined to cross the finish line.”

The charity is particularly important to John because his family has been ravaged by heart disease.

Two weeks after Nick’s funeral, John’s younger brother, Dave, had a heart attack but survived, and John, himself, was diagnosed with heart disease in 2016.

Nick’s death was totally unexpected – he was previously fit and healthy and had yearly medicals because of his job as an aerobatics flying instructor.

As a result, John was highly motivated to run for the BHF and was one of 800 runners who took part in the marathon in aid of the charity.

The iconic event raised more than £1.4 million for the BHF, which will enable it to continue to fund ground-breaking research into new treatments and cures for heart and circulatory diseases.

John added: “The research that the BHF does makes such a difference to the 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases.

"I’m proud that I’m doing as much as I can to support their amazing work to help fund the next big scientific breakthrough.” 

Andy Tribe, Events Manager at the BHF, added: “It’s fantastic to see John’s courage and determination in helping us fund lifesaving research.

"Without the dedication of our team of BHF runners and the commitment of people like John, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has already broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.  

“The stories of why our amazing supporters take part never fails to amaze me and it was incredible to see John and 800 others take on such a gruelling challenge to help save and improve lives.” 

Click HERE if you would like to sponsor John.

It is only with donations from the public that the BHF can keep its life saving research going.

With money donated by the public, the charity funds ground-breaking research aimed at getting us closer than ever to a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases.

Go to the official BHF website to find out more about the work of the charity and how to support it.