At the age of 63, David Branch decided he wanted a new challenge. A sporty man as is, regularly partaking in long bike rides, jogs, and a few rounds of golf, he set his sights on a marathon, with an end goal of raising money for Hannah's Home.

Rather than pick a marathon close to home, David chose to travel all the way to Canada for one key reason: to visit his family. Both of his daughters relocated to Vancouver some years ago and his youngest daughter, Hannah, who helped set up Hannah's Home in 2011, has since given birth to David's first grandchild (and favourite human in the world).  
 

The big day

After months of training, strict diets, and A LOT of ankle taping, the big day arrived. On 5 May 2024, David was dropped off at Queen Elizabeth Park with pockets full of energy gels and a PMA (positive mental attitude... at least, that's what he told us!). At 8.45am, he crossed the start line and was officially on the lookout for his cheering squad, easily identifiable by their massive signs covered in enlarged photos of his grandson's face. And a few humorous motivational words. 

"Focusing on finding my family in the crowd made the time go faster," David said. "It helped keep my mind off the aches and pains, and gave me something to look forward to, other than the finish line!"

He looked fresh faced until the end, completing the marathon in an impressive 4 hours and 17 minutes. Safe to say he earned his beer that day! 
 

Fundraising 

Once the stress of training, travelling, and running a casual 26.2 miles had died down, David set up his JustGiving page. 

"Raising money to support Hannah's Home was a no brainer," David said. "Malawi, and subsequently Hannah's Home, has not escaped the cost-of-living crisis, and was also recently impacted by severe flooding. You cannot underestimate the power of donating, no matter how little."    

David has a fundraising goal of £1500. Can you spare a few pennies and help him reach it?