Kate completes virtual London Marathon just three years after taking up running
Congratulations to Kate Jones from our Pwllheli store in north Wales who went from never having run more than six miles two months ago to completing the virtual London Marathon to raise money for BBC Children in Need.
Kate, who's a service section leader, took up running three years ago to try to get fitter, but it was only after she'd secured her place in the marathon via Asda that she began to cover longer distances.
She said: "I was in training for three to four months, but August 2nd was the first time I ran more than 10km, so I am really proud of myself."
She was given the opportunity to raise money for BBC Children after spotting a notice looking for applications on the work intranet.
"I thought there was no way I could do it but that I might as well apply to give myself a little extra motivation as I've been on a fitness drive," said Kate. "I thought there would be no way that I was picked ... but I was!'
The terrain around Pwllheli is much hillier than the route in London, so Kate, who's 33, says she had to walk up a couple of hills, but ran the rest of the way, before completing her epic 26.2 mile race in a time of six hours and 16 minutes.
She was joined by ultra-marathon runner Gordon Hughes, her friend Tracey Wadsworth, who ran the first 15 miles, while her parents Andrea and Robert Jones drove the route in their car so that Kate stayed hydrated throughout her run. Charlie, her King Charles Cavalier, even joined her for the last five miles!
Kate said: "My friends and family were there at the finishing line and held out a ribbon for me, which was brilliant.
"I'm hooked now! I'm hoping to take part in the Manchester Marathon next year and then hopefully run the London Marathon the year after. I'm also taking part in the Pen Lyn Ultra Marathon in July, when you have to cover 50 miles in 24 hours.
"I started by doing interval training and gradually stepped it up from there. I can't believe how far I have come."
Kate has raised £395 for BBC Children in Need so far and is applying for match funding from the Asda Foundation to further boost the amount she's raised. Anyone who would like to sponsor her can do so here: https://virtualtcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/kate-jones
Kate's worked at our Pwllheli store for 15 years and says the support she's had from colleagues and customers at work has been fantastic.
She said: "Lots of people at work have sponsored me and everyone's been saying well done to me when I've seen them. The support from everyone has been amazing.
"I've lost weight since I started running and a lot of customers have noticed, they're 'you're doing so well' or 'you're looking good', which is always a great motivator to keep going."
The store's community champion Jo Scott, who cheered Kate on as she tackled the marathon, says everyone at the store is so proud of Kate.
She said: "This was a huge achievement, so well done Kate. We are all so proud of you. Thank you to everyone who supported, encouraged and cheered her on."