Feb 15 - Local Runner Takes On Marathon De Sables For Charity
It is just seven weeks until a former rugby player will be taking the mammoth task of running the Marathon de Sables to help raise money for the Gibraltar Alzheimer’s and Dementia Society and the Cancer Relief Centre.
Gary Evans can be spotted running around the Rock, proudly displaying the charity logos, as he prepares to run more than 250km over six days in the Sahara Desert in April.
He is committed to splitting the money equally between both charities - Gibraltar Alzheimer’s and Dementia Society and the Cancer Relief Centre – but is now seeking for help to reach his target of £20,000 in total.
Gary has already raised £700 during the Gibraltar and Jersey rugby game, as he ran around the Victoria Stadium and has been receiving donations on his Just Giving page but still needs more people to dig deep into their pockets to help the local charities.
The 34-year-old decided to take on the Marathon de Sables in memory of his grandmother Maggie Evans who passed away from Alzheimer’s and his mother’s partner Geoff Miller who passed away from cancer.
Gary said: “I wanted to do something for local charities and started training about a year ago.
“I was watching a James Cracknell documentary on YouTube and thought, I fancy a bit of that. I kept thinking that everyon can do a London marathon, but I wanted to go that little bit further.”
Gary, who moved to Gibraltar nearly eight years ago from Wales to work in scaffolding, has been training for the Marathon de Sables, and runs almost every day. He has an intense training regime which includes cycling, swimming and running. He goes for long 50km runs once a week in Spain, but trains in Gibraltar for the most part.
He has gained support from family and friends, including his wife and six-year-old daughter, but adds: “The training and everything has really taken its toll on my wife and daughter, but when it’s over it will all be worth it.”
To help donate on Gary’s Just Giving page log onto https://www.justgiving.com/garyevans7/ and to follow his progress on his journey to completing the Marathon de Sables log onto https://www.facebook.com/garyevansmarathondessables
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