Banbury worker smashes personal best in charitable London Marathon effort

Patrick Kavanagh completed the city’s iconic 26.2-mile route in 4hrs 41mins 59secs – more than 41 minutes faster than his previous best marathon effort recorded in New York two years ago.

The 56-year-old local raised over £800 for Oxford Hospitals Charity along the way in support of its work to provide the best medical equipment, research and facilities for staff and patients across five of the county’s hospitals and NHS care centres.

Supporting Patrick through his training and at the conclusion of his latest challenge were colleagues from Banbury-based loft boarding and insulation experts Amazing Lofts, who he works for as an operations assistant.

The team covered the cost of his entry fee and held a sweepstake from the firm’s headquarters in Middleton Cheney to get the fundraising ball rolling when he signed-up to the marathon in January.

Patrick hopes to break the £1,000 fundraising mark after completing the marathon and described his personal best run as tough, but with a sprint finish for good measure.

“This was only my second marathon,” said Patrick. “So, completing the distance was the number one goal.

“It started to get tough after 17 miles and my pace did drop off. I stopped briefly to fuel up on fluids and energy snacks but smashed the final four miles to get the personal best in the bag.

“I’m pleased so many people decided to support Oxford Hospitals Charity. They’re responsible for outstanding work locally with helps NHS staff provide the best care possible for patients and every penny will make a positive difference.”

Patrick now plans to go one step further than his efforts from the weekend when lining up at the Berlin Marathon in Germany this September.

And he had some expert insights to share to people considering following his footsteps by running a marathon in the future.

“It goes without saying you have to train hard,” said Patrick. “Personally, I chose to run up to 20 miles during training as I didn’t want to enter race day too tired.

“Join a local running club too – they’ll encourage different exercises and stretches so you’re using different muscles to build strength. And take plenty of fuel – something which will give you that burst of energy when it gets tough.”

Anyone wishing to support Patrick’s Oxford Hospitals Charity fundraiser can learn more by clicking here.