A running hero of ours from yesteryear has got in touch to ask for a missing achievement certificate to complete his collection of memorabilia.
Richard Bazeley, who flew to South Africa in 2017 to compete for us in one of the world’s toughest ultra-marathons, had a simple request:
“In 2017, I raised £515 for the ME Association by running an 87.7km ultra-marathon in South Africa called the “Comrades Marathon”, and the funds I raised were through a JustGiving page.
“I wondered if you issued certificates to fundraisers as a thank you/recognition for fundraising? If so, please could I be sent one?”
The ME Association’s new fundraising and development manager, Jim Morrison – delighted to hear from a man who had also achieved the fastest time of all our runners in the London Marathon that same year – did a quick shoe-shuffle to get the certificate to Richard.
“Oh, my word! I am so sorry you haven't received anything. That is inexcusable and I would like to apologise on behalf of everyone here”, Jim replied.
Richard told Jim that he had only just spotted the gap in his collection of running memorabilia “because I have recently built my family tree online and was uploading certificates and documents and realised I didn’t have one in my collection”.
Richard told our ME Essential magazine at the time that the Comrades Marathon was the hardest thing he had ever done. What kept him going was glancing down at his MEA purple wristband and knowing that, no matter how rubbish he felt, there were people with ME – like his cousin Becky – who felt just as shattered without running all those miles.
Richard had won the trip to South Africa in a Capri Sun competition. It was the only way at the time that he could have afforded to make the trip, he told us.
Runners have been taking part in the Comrades Marathon since 1921. It was set up by former soldier Vic Clapham to commemorate all of the Republic of South Africa’s soldiers who had been killed during the First World War.
Surprisingly, Richard's JustGiving page is still open for donations. If you would like to make a donation, please visit:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/baze187
Our new fundraising manager filled the gap in Richard's collection by sending him the certificate below. Other pictures show Richard taking part in the Comrades Marathon and its route, measured in metres climbed, from Durban to Pietermaritzburg
Tony Britton
Senior Fundraising Consultant, The ME Association
tony.britton@meassociation.org.uk Mob: 07393 805566
