Fornham St Martin: ‘I’m running London Marathon for those who died in Boston,’ says farmer

A FARMER from west Suffolk has said he is also running Sunday’s Virgin London Marathon for those who died in Boston and their families.

Andrew Long, from Fornham St Martin, near Bury St Edmunds, has been training for the past year for the London Marathon - a challenge he is undertaking to raise money for the Suffolk Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity.

Following the blasts at the Boston Marathon on Monday in which at least three people were killed, Mr Long, 51, said: “I’m actually even more determined to do it for charity and also to represent the poor people that got killed in Boston.”

He added: “It’s made it even more of a poignant run than ever.”

Mr Long, who is married to Gina Long who is one of the founders of the Suffolk Breakthrough Breast Cancer group, said the idea to run the London Marathon arose from his desire to lose weight.

“I thought ‘okay, if I run and give myself a challenge I can benefit a charity and also benefit myself to get fit and lose weight’.”

Mr Long, who used to play for Bury St Edmunds Hockey Club, kept the challenge a secret from his wife until recently as he wanted it to be a “surprise”.

He has achieved more than £3,000 of his £4,000-fundraising target.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/andrew-long2