On Tuesday, less than two weeks before the London Marathon 2024, I gathered with refugee friends gathered at JRS in Wapping to make banners for the runners who will take to the streets on Sunday 21st April to raise money for JRS UK. Refugee friends were surprised and impressed by how many runners were taking on this challenge in order to fundraise for JRS and to support them.
A lot of refugee friends joked about how they thought they’d do if they tried to run the Marathon – some thought not so well(!) There was general agreement that running the marathon was a major undertaking, and I was really touched by their gratitude, although I was also left wondering if I’d agreed to do something very foolish indeed. Many refugee friends signed up to cheer on the day – I’ll be looking out for them and the banners we made as I struggle through the 26.2 miles.
Among the banner makers was a refugee friend who will also run the marathon, taking time out of his busy training schedule to get involved in the painting! He shared his hopes for marathon day, saying he aimed to finish within 2 hours and 40 minutes.
This day really impressed on me the sense of hope that the JRS UK Marathon Team gives to refugee friends. This can be such a bleak context for our friends. Government policy seems set against them, and the cost of living crisis hits people made destitute and pushed to the margins even harder than others. And against this backdrop, the funds that will be raised by Team JRS UK are needed more than ever to help us keep accompanying and serving refugees. It was clearly powerful to know that people had committed to running a Marathon in support of JRS.
Let’s keep up the good work. See you at the start line!
Donate to JRS UK’s London Marathon Runners
