Nick and the others left me behind to train month after month in the sweltering jungles of Vietnam for the chance once a year to run through New York’s five Burroughs on a crisp and cool autumn morning.  Running a marathon is the reward for all the hard work that went into the training.  The reward for waking up early on Sunday mornings to hit the streets and sidewalks before they are both packed with motorbikes and drivers who are willfully blind to pedestrians or the odd fool who runs in Saigon. The reward for lacing up my shoes on those nights I’d rather be in a pub or on a sofa…

The New York Marathon must be one of the best running rewards on the planet.  It’s a sight to see whether you come to run or just join the millions of people who come out to cheer along every step of the course.  But even more rewarding is the chance make a run like that count for something more. 

Last year I had that opportunity when I heard that Nick and his team were running to raise money for Jodi’s foundation.  I joined them for 2010 and I am very pleased to join them again this year.    It’s the tireless work that people like Nick and the others at the foundation do that will allow someone, somewhere to dodge an avoidable tragedy and perhaps run a marathon with 45,000 other nutters someday.

Please help me make these 42km  count. Click the Donate Now button to the right.  I will be matching the first $1,000 of your generous donations and will mention your name on international TV broadcasts if I win the race.

See you in New York!