One millionth London Marathon finisher is a hospital fundraiser
Howard Lake | 10 May 2016 | News
London Marathon organisers have announced that the one millionth person to cross the annual event’s finishing line was Shannon Foudy, 39, from Hemel Hempstead. She was running to raise funds for her local hospital’s neonatal unit.
Ms Foudy ran her first, and by all accounts, her last London Marathon to thank staff at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital for helping to save the life of her daughter Catrin. She was born six years ago at 26 weeks weighing only 2 lb 5 oz and the hospital’s treatment helped her survive complete organ failure and a brain haemorrhage.
Ms Foudy ran the Virgin Money London Marathon in five hours 45 minutes.
She described the experience as a “once in a lifetime chance and becoming the millionth is unbelievable”.
#OneinaMillion
Although the race took place two weeks ago it has taken organisers since then to confirm Ms Foudy was the millionth runner to pass the finishing line since the first runners did so in the inaugural London Marathon in 1981.
Ms Foudy, a fundraiser, raised £2,300 on her JustGiving page
She won a place in next year’s race, but has turned down the offer, describing the run as “really tough and painful”. However, her partner Jamie Fletcher has entered the ballot for the 2017 race, which has attracted a record 253,930 applicants.
Photo: Shannon Foudy and daughter Catrin (courtesy of Virgin Money London Marathon)
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.