Patrick Gilligan has chosen to fundraise on behalf of YES for the London Marathon 2023.
He has currently raised a total of £1,226 as of 14/02/2023, with an goal of raising at least £2000 for our charity.
We caught up with Pat and found out a little bit more about himself and why he has decided to run the London Marathon in the name of YES.
Where did you first hear about YES?
About a decade ago.
My aunt, Claire works at YES as the Housing Officer. At the time, they were doing a fundraising hike up Snowdon- me and my dad tagged along!
Why are you choosing to support YES?
I was fortunate enough to have very happy teenage and young adult years, surrounded by supportive family and friends. Unfortunately, that is not the case for many young people and I’d love to do what I can to help make a difference- especially as times get harder.
What is your favourite thing that our charity does?
I love how hands on the charity is and I can feel confident knowing that the money I raise will be directly impacting the lives of young people that need the support!
Tell us more about yourself!
I’m a Content Manager / Copywriter for a technology company. This means that I work in the Marketing Team, crafting messaging and producing creative assets like articles, reports, videos and graphics to persuade people to use our services.
I’m also into swimming, cooking, reading and travelling.
Have you ever run a marathon before?
Never done a marathon before so this is new to me.
I did a half marathon a couple of years ago. After finishing that, I thought I never ever want to do a full marathon. But here we are!
Have you always enjoyed running?
I have! I did a lot of running at school and started running in my own time when I was an early teenager. I like how it takes you outside and away from screens.
What does your current regime look like?
At the moment, I’m running about four times a week with a couple of strength training sessions thrown in. The runs vary in pace and distance — and on the weekend I have the long runs.
What is your favourite time of the day to run?
To be honest, I’m not the best at getting up in the morning so I tend to go in the evenings after work.
I’m using the fact that it’s icy in the mornings as an excuse. I’ll have to think of another one when it gets warmer.
What are your 'Personal Bests' or highlights so far?
I ran 17 miles last weekend (the furthest I’ve ever run) and lived to tell the tale!
If you would like to further support Patrick and our charity, please consider sponsoring him in the London Marathon this year.
You can also keep up to date with his personal training progress via Strava.