What’s that, to the left? Why, if it isn’t a picture of me running a half-marathon last year. What’s that you say? Half-marathons are easy? Well, funny you should say that…

I’m running the London Marathon on April 22 this year, in aid of Phoenix Futures, the people for whom I’ve previously walked on hot coals and glass (yes, yes, I know). They’ve very kindly given me one of their few ‘golden ticket’ places, so I want to repay their kindness by getting them lots of lovely money to help them with their good work.

So if you can help, I’d be very grateful indeed. You can sponsor or donate online here, which is totally secure and safe, and you can give even more with the magical Gift Aid tax-thing.

If you have any questions at all, please drop me a line at therunningman@johnsoanes.co.uk – and yes, if you want to come along and cheer or jeer, you can do that..

I’ll be referring to this a LOT in the next couple of months, as I really want to reach (if not exceed) the target I’ve set, so don’t be at all surprised if this isn’t the last blog entry on this. I’ll add a link in the column to the right as well, and indeed I may be adding some kind of totaliser-gadget to this page as well, so we can see how much money has been pledged, like the Blue Peter appeals which they used to do when I was young (and still do, I think).

Anyway, please sponsor or donate if you can. I promise all of the money goes to a worthwhile cause – I’ve been lucky enough to meet one of the people who Phoenix have helped, and even to a hardened cynic like me, it was incredible to see how pleased he was that his life had changed, and that instead of the drugs ruling his life, that he was now back in control of his life, and proud of the direction he was heading.

So please help if you can. Thanks!