Warwickshire firefighter heads to New York
A firefighter from Warwickshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service is on his way to New York to take part in his third Marathon, all in the name of charity.
Group Manager, Ian Tonner is off to New York today with the hope of finishing the marathon is under four hours as he attempts to beat his previous record of 4:17 in 2009.
As part of his preparation Ian has put himself through a gruelling training schedule of five half marathons in just three weeks including the Birmingham half marathon last weekend. Ian along with his colleagues, David Pemberton, Steve Langhor and Ade Mallaban all completed the Birmingham Half marathon in just less than two hours.
Speaking about the event, Ian said: "This is my third New York Marathon and I hope to complete it in less than four hours, but after two failed attempts in 2008 of 4:37 and 4:17 in 2009, I’m unsure if I can reduce my time any further. Fingers crossed the weather will be good and the atmosphere in New York is always electric.
“However, there is a more serious side to why I am doing this for the third year in a row. This year I am running for the charity "The Challenger Trust" who supports disadvantaged young people from across the UK. “
For more information on the Challenge Trust, log onto: http://www.challengertrust.org. If you would like to help Ian raise money for the trust, you can donate on-line by logging onto http://www.justgiving.com/ian-tonner.