Our Business Services Director, Dipen Parekh is taking on the ultimate challenge – running the London Marathon this April – all to raise vital funds for Connection Support! With determination, dedication, and a whole lot of training, he’s pushing his limits to make a real difference.
As the big challenge approaches, we caught up with Dipen for a quick chat to learn more about him, what inspired him to take on the marathon, and how his training is going so far! 🏃♂️💪
If you’d like to show your support and donate, click here!
Tell us a bit about yourself
I love running! I love travelling and experiencing different things, but also pushing my personal limits to see what I can accomplish – such as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or running the Great North Run.
How did you get into running?
My running journey started from a health-related reason after a relative had a heart attack. A friend dragged me out running and I sheepishly followed….and soon caught the bug. I’ve travelled extensively for work and being able to get out and see the countries I worked in whilst running was a bonus. As I’ve got more and more involved in running, I found that it had an incredibly positive impact on my mental health. I find it helps clear my mind before work and gives me space to resolve problems that I might be facing.
What inspired you to sign up to the London Marathon?
I ran my first half marathon in 2006 and ever since I’ve been in awe of those who run marathons. I’ve been applying for a place for many years and never got in so when I got my place through Connection Support I couldn’t believe it – and then the ‘maranoia’ kicked in 😃. Alongside the excitement of running the London Marathon – it’s a great opportunity to raise money for a cause I passionately care about.
Tell us about your training and what you are doing to prepare
Winter is a hard time for training! Its so cold and dark in the morning. I wasn’t following a training plan…freestylin’ it…but realised that’s probably not the best idea! So the plan is that I’m running 4 times a week, and increasing mileage by about 2 miles per week on my long runs. At the moment, I’m able to run 15 miles, and this weekend will be 17 miles and so on. The aim is to be able to run 24-25 miles in training – which take me 4+hours!! In between, I’m doing various other runs that build your pace. It’s a major undertaking and it means that you have to sacrifice some things to be able to commit to the training.
What are you most looking forward to on marathon day?
Finishing 😃. Joking aside, I’ve set myself a goal of enjoying the run, that might sound like a contradiction when talking about running 26.2 miles but I want to take in the atmosphere and really embrace the event (even though I’ll have a lot of nerves until it starts). I also cannot wait to see friends and family along the route…there is nothing as powerful when you have someone in your corner.
Why did you choose to fundraise for Connection Support?
I’ve been passionate about solving homelessness from my years volunteering in shelters, and in my opinion Connection Support is an incredible charity doing amazing work. Connection Support is focused on making positive interventions to people in need but also involved in services where homelessness can be prevented – which is not an easy goal but also a difficult message to convince the public about – and the funds I raise will allow us to fund exciting projects in that space.
What message do you have for people who are supporting you by donating?
Firstly thank you for donating – in these difficult times it’s amazing that people still continue to support those who are far less fortunate. I’d also like to remind people that though running a marathon is an achievement, I’m lucky that I have a support network around me – and those that are being supported by Connection Support often don’t – but still manage to keep going in spite of the challenges they face.
