{"id":6672,"date":"2024-04-02T17:11:04","date_gmt":"2024-04-02T16:11:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slimmingworld.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=6672"},"modified":"2024-07-24T11:41:49","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T10:41:49","slug":"meet-the-slimming-world-marathon-runners-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/meet-the-slimming-world-marathon-runners-2\/","title":{"rendered":"After losing 56st 1lb between us, we\u2019re ready to run the London Marathon 2024!\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The London Marathon is less than a month away, and here at Slimming World we\u2019re gearing up to cheer on our amazing team of runners.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not so long ago, they would never have imagined they\u2019d have the confidence to run such a challenging race\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was before they discovered our Body Magic activity support programme<\/a>, which helps members to get fitter at their own pace, doing the activities they love.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These amazing members will be running in support of the Slimming World SMILES charity, to raise funds for our charity partners, Cancer Research UK, the Irish Cancer Society and Alzheimer\u2019s Research UK \u2013 you\u2019ll find the official fundraising page here<\/a>.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the sensational slimmers who\u2019ll be taking on the mighty Marathon on Sunday 21st April\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More on the blog:<\/strong> \u201cWe\u2019ve lost 52st 4lbs between us \u2013 and now we\u2019re running the London Marathon\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Slimming World marathon team <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Aaron Walker<\/strong>, 27, lost 14st with Slimming World. He\u2019s running to raise money for Alzheimer\u2019s Research UK.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Slimming<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t active at all before joining Slimming World and struggled to walk far without getting out of breath.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Body Magic inspired me to set small activity goals, and this helped me build up my exercise and stamina.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I began to enjoy going for walks and I steadily increased the distances. My walks gradually turned into runs and I\u2019ve never looked back.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Aaron\u2019s full story<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alison Derbyshire<\/strong>, 42, lost 5st 4\u00bdlbs with Slimming World. She\u2019s running in memory of her grandma, who sadly died from Alzheimer\u2019s.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Slimming<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cBefore joining Slimming World, I wasn\u2019t active at all. I had no energy and got out of breath just walking upstairs.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I found out about Slimming World\u2019s activity programme, I knew I wanted in. I now run, cycle, cross train, swim and play badminton. There\u2019s no stopping me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craig Falcus<\/strong>, 42, lost 5st with Slimming World. He\u2019s raising money for Cancer Research UK in honour of his mum, who sadly died from cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Slimming<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I heard about Slimming World\u2019s Body Magic activity programme, it was a revelation to me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I slowly built my activity levels up by exploring different machines at the gym first and then going for runs out and about \u2013 seeing my progress made it easier to keep going.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hannah Day<\/strong>, 35, lost 7st 5\u00bdlbs with Slimming World. She\u2019s excited to achieve her dream of running the London Marathon.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Slimming<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cBefore I joined Slimming World, I found it difficult to bend down or walk for more than a few minutes without feeling breathless. I used to avoid seeing people through fear of embarrassment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hearing how other members in my Slimming World group had overcome similar challenges really helped me to feel like I wasn\u2019t alone.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can now walk and run without getting out of breath quickly. I also enjoy swimming.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lisa Doherty<\/strong>, 44, lost 4st with Slimming World. She\u2019s running in tribute to her dad, who sadly died from cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Slimming<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI used to try lots of new hobbies, like swimming, cycling and BoxFit, but they all only lasted for about three weeks before I gave them up. I even bought an exercise bike, which turned into a clothes hanger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since discovering Body Magic<\/a>, Slimming World\u2019s physical activity support programme, I have eased myself into exercise by following the activity videos on the Slimming World app and following the Couch to 5K programme. Now I love running and exercise no longer feels like a chore!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ian Heath<\/strong>, 51, lost 9st 8lbs with Slimming World. He\u2019s running in support of a family member who\u2019s being tested for the early stages of dementia.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Slimming<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI joined Slimming World just over five years ago and never imagined being able to run marathons. Back then I found it difficult to walk and I did absolutely no exercise whatsoever.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I learnt about Slimming World\u2019s Body Magic activity programme, I saw it as an opportunity for me to enjoy exercise. I started small by going for regular walks and then began running in February 2022.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When my group found out I\u2019d taken up running they became my biggest cheerleaders, and they ask me every week what runs I\u2019ve been on.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More for members:<\/strong> Discover our series of guided walking podcasts<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Durkin<\/strong>, 53, lost 10st 11lbs with Slimming World. He\u2019s running in memory of his partner\u2019s grandfather, who sadly died from Alzheimer\u2019s.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Slimming<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI used to walk or cycle to work every day but as the weight piled on, it felt like a chore and not something I ever enjoyed.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I heard about Slimming World\u2019s Body Magic activity programme, I knew I wanted to get involved and get back to looking forward to getting on my bike or going for a walk.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I never imagined I\u2019d be preparing to run the world-famous London Marathon!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read John\u2019s full story here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get started with Slimming World<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many of our members say that, when they first started on their weight loss journeys, doing exercise felt like an impossible task. With Slimming World support, though, they\u2019ve built up their activity at their own pace \u2013 and they\u2019re loving the brilliant Body Magic benefits their new lifestyles bring. If they can do it, you can, too!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Join Slimming World<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re planning to start a new exercise programme, we recommend you check with your GP first \u2013 especially if you have an existing health condition, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or asthma. If you\u2019re pregnant, check the suitability of the exercise with your midwife. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These inspiring members prove that there really are no limits to what you can achieve \u2013 and it all starts with a single step <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8460,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[22,25,14,23,26],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6672"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6672"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9417,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6672\/revisions\/9417"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}