FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Record number of MPs to run 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon
17/04/2018
Members of Parliament of all political persuasions put aside their party
differences this morning when they gathered on College Green in Westminster
to swap words of solidarity and encouragement ahead of this Sunday's 2018
Virgin Money London Marathon.
A record total of 17 MPs are taking on the famous 26.2-mile challenge this
year, one more than last year's record of 16, and include a
record-equalling three women MPs, who will all be making their London
Marathon debuts.
In a change to previous years, the Labour Party provides the majority of
the running politicians with eight to the Conservative Party's seven. The
Scottish National Party (SNP) have two representatives, while there are no
Liberal Democrats for the third year running. No fewer than 11 of this
year's entrants are London Marathon debutants.
Alun Cairns, the Secretary of State for Wales, will again start as the
fastest MP on the Start Line with a personal best of 3:28:02 set in 2016.
He will be closely followed by 2017's fastest MP, Rehman Chishti, the
Conservative MP for Gillingham and Rainham, who finished last year's race
in 3:34:22, beating his Tory colleague Cairns, who came home in 3:36:45.
Cairns is back for his seventh London Marathon in 2018 and was one of a
dozen marathon MPs who turned out today in their running gear and race bibs
opposite the Houses of Parliament to talk of training, times and charity
fundraising in the countdown towards Sunday's race.
"It might be my seventh, but I'm more nervous than in the past," said the
representative for Vale of Glamorgan, whose training has been disrupted
this year by a combination of bad weather and Parliamentary duties. "If I
get anything close to four hours this year I'll be pleased. I'm heavier and
slower than normal.
"But the most important thing for all MPs is that the London Marathon
provides the best opportunity we have to raise huge amounts of money for
worthy causes in our constituencies."
Cairns is running this year for his local branch of NSPCC (the National
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) and Vale Women's Aid.
"Running is also the best way for MPs to improve our health in the midst of
a stressful lifestyle," he added. "Just last week I was in Cabinet in the
afternoon discussing Syria and in the evening I ran 10 miles back in my
constituency.
"I can tell you there's no better stress reliever after a tense meeting. I
sort all my problems out while I'm running."
It was a sentiment echoed by many of those running, including fellow
Conservative Tom Pursglove, who's taking on the challenge for the first
time.
"Health and wellbeing are so important and doing all the running and gym
work has been invaluable in helping me do my job," said the Tory MP for
Corby.
As chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Running Group, Pursglove has played
a key role in encouraging more Members to run this year than ever before.
"It's great to see we've got a record number running this year," he said.
"For me it'll be a great personal challenge because it's quite unlike
anything I've ever done before, but I'm determined to do it because it's
such a great event."
It may be his full marathon debut, but Pursglove feels in good shape for
Sunday's venture and is boldly targeting a sub-four-hour time after
finishing The Big Half last month in one hour 46 minutes.
"I'm sure the great crowd will pull me through," he said. "I'm intrigued
about the atmosphere; everyone says it's really something to experience."
The opportunity to run "the greatest road race in the world" while raising
money for charity is the driving motivation for another debutant, David
Linden, one of the two Scottish Nationalists who'll be pounding the streets
of the British capital.
"I just couldn't pass up the perfect opportunity to raise money for good
causes at the world's greatest marathon," said the Glasgow East MP, who's
fundraising for a local community carers' group and aims to finish in
five-and-a-half hours.
Linden's been training in London with an SNP MPs running group that meets
every Wednesday morning to do a few miles before Prime Minister's
Questions.
"Running's great to improve fitness and blow off a few cobwebs," he said.
"I'm a lot more relaxed since I've been running.
"For all the fear I have as a first-timer, the thing I'm most looking
forward to is getting over the Finish Line," he added. "I want to have the
feeling that I've just completed the world's greatest road race; it's
something no one can take away from you. And I will finish, even if it's by
walking or crawling, I will get there."
Labour's Ruth Cadbury is similarly confident of getting to The Mall in one
piece. Having taken up the sport for recreation just before turning 50 she
originally had no intention of ever running 26.2 miles, but at 59 is now
one of the three women MPs running in 2018 for the first time.
"I'm the only London MP running so there's rather a lot riding on my
shoulders," joked the Member for Brentford and Isleworth. "As an older
woman who only started running at 50, I feel a lot better than I did when I
was younger. It's made me realise what a difference taking regular exercise
makes.
"A lot of women who start running feel intimidated by the marathon, as I
was. But because I've built up slowly from parkruns and five milers to half
marathons, I now know I'll get round. I can't wait."
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