I managed in the end to raise £2,650.60 for CRY (£2,123.60 online and £527 on sponsorship forms) before Gift Aid. I was overwhelmed with both the level of donations and messages of support I received both before and after the event.
The New York Marathon itself was an unforgettable experience with around 46,000 participants and between 1-2 million spectators on the route.
A cocktail of carb gels/pain-killers/music/luck seemed to do the trick for me on the day and I managed in the end to get round in 3 hours 15 minutes. A half mile incline at mile 23 though will live long in the memory!
The fact that I was doing in memory of my friend Niall and for charity, certainly helped me through the darker moments. Thankfully the post event pain proved temporary!
Martin Campbell