IT’S that time of year again when the nights draw in, ice freezes your windscreen and the wind chills you to the bone – and an assortment of lunatics start training for the London marathon.
Following the heroics earlier this year of the Dream Team – including Travel Weekly’s own Liz Bird and Sam Lewis – we are teaming up with the Family Holiday Association once again and entering a 25-strong line-up that promises to be every bit as (un)fit as the 1999 bunch.
British Airways’ Carol Dray is again donning her running shoes and is now recruiting a further 24 to join her in the 26-mile slog. Andy Grout from the FHA said: “We raised about £40,000 this year, which was a fantastic effort, and hope to do even better next year.”
If you are up to the challenge fax Carol with your details on 020-8738 9729.
“We plan to hold a get-together on December 9 in preparation for the 2000 event so need to hear from interested runners as soon as possible,” said Grout.
Meanwhile, ABTA Travel Agents’ Council chairman Stephen Bath hasalready raised £100 for the FHA as he prepares to leap f into the Queensland rainforest.
He is just one of a number of mad people – Travel Weekly editor Jeremy Skidmore included – who has pledged to do a bungee jump in Cairns. “I would rather have five seconds of terror than four hours of pain,” said Bath.
Another man taking the plunge, French Life’s Warren Sandral, has coerced French Tourist Office’s Pascal Visintainer to join him in the challenge. “I said it was the least he could do to make up for the French beef ban,” said Sandral.