Education staff take on a challenge of a lifetime – the TCS London Marathon
Not only are Sophie and Corinne dedicated and hardworking members of staff at Shaftesbury Victoria School, but this April they are literally going the extra mile and running the TCS London Marathon to raise funds for Shaftesbury. Here, they tell us how it’s going…
What is your job at Shaftesbury Victoria School?
Corinne: I’m a senior teaching assistant in one of our post-14 classes.
Sophie: I’m an education support worker, which is all about making the students feel safe and supported, giving them the encouragement to push themselves and believe that they can do hard things.
How many marathons have you run?
C: This is my first! The longest runs I’ve done so far are the distances I’ve been doing during training, now around a half-marathon.
S: I haven’t run a marathon before either, but I took part in a half-marathon last autumn and I have another coming up in March. So far, throughout my training the longest run I’ve done is 16 miles. Let’s just say training has been gruelling!
What’s been your best moment so far?
C: I love beating my times for previous distances, and the headspace you get from running.
S: It has to be when I took part in a 10k race and I got a big personal best. It showed that all the hard work had been paying off and it was a big confidence boost.
And your worst?
C: I had an injury just before Christmas to a tendon in my foot, which meant I was on crutches for almost a month. I’m thankful it wasn’t too serious, but it was a real knock to my training schedule. Also, juggling training with work, my two children and their activities is a real struggle, especially because my husband has been abroad a lot for work recently. Trying to persuade a 10-year-old and five-year-old to join me on a run on their bikes is a challenge!
S: My worst moment was when I had to wake up at 5:30am recently to do my 16-mile run before a whole day of work. There may have been a few tears throughout – I’m not ashamed to admit it!
How often are you training?
C: Four times a week at the moment. One session is a tempo session, one is intervals, then a long run and an easy run at the weekends.
S: I run six days a week. I have two main training sessions throughout the week, including a long run at the weekend.
Have you changed your diet as part of training?
C: I think I’m just a bit more aware of what I’m eating to fuel the longer runs a bit. Other than that, not really.
S: I don’t follow a diet but I make sure I’m eating a lot, including foods that will keep me fuelled and energised.
Want to support Sophie and Corinne? Visit their fundraising pages:
> Sophie’s fundraiser for Shaftesbury
> Corinne’s fundraiser for Shaftesbury
How are you feeling about the event itself?
C: I’m a bit anxious about the distance, especially because my training has been a bit up and down with my foot injury. But ultimately I’m excited about it and looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere.
S: I’m feeling both very excited and nervous: excited to put all the training to the final test and experience the atmosphere of the marathon, crossing the finish line and feeling a big sense of accomplishment from something I never thought I would have ever had the courage to do. But nervous too because it’ll be my first time running that distance. You just never know what will happen in the final miles.
Why are you doing this run for the students at Shaftesbury Victoria School?
C: It’s always been on my bucket list to do the London Marathon, and there’s so many good charities you could apply to run for, but to run for the school where I can actually see the money raised being put to use is great.
S: I’m doing the marathon for Victoria school because the students there deserve the best education and support they can have and I want to spread awareness for our great charity. Each individual at the school deserves to live life to their fullest potential and that’s what the school is great at doing.
If reading this has got you pulling on your trainers – we have two rare, last minute places in the 2025 TCS London Marathon. Find out more and apply here