Pictured above: Suzy Hays, a lawyer at Robinsons Solicitors
in Derby, receives her case notes from managing principal Neil
Barnes before running home from work, as she prepares for the
world's first Kilomathon
A Derby lawyer has raised £250 for leukaemia research
after helping to make a piece of running history in the world's
first Kilomathon.
Suzy Hays, a member of the commercial litigation department at
Robinsons Solicitors, in St James Court, Friar Gate, was one of
around 4,200 athletes who took part in the event, a 26.2km race
between Nottingham and Derby on March 14.
The first of its kind anywhere in the world, the race covered
the same number of kilometres as there are miles in a marathon and
was 16.3 miles long - making it a perfect halfway house between a
half and a full marathon.
It took Suzy two hours and 50 minutes to complete the race,
which began at the University of Nottingham in Beeston and ended at
Alvaston Park in Derby, taking runners through Long Eaton and
Elvaston Castle Country Park along the way.
Her time was the result of a tough winter training regime, which
included runs home after work from Robinsons' Derby office to
Belper, a distance of some eight miles.
Suzy said: "I really enjoyed the event, there were quite a few
people by the side of the road cheering everybody on as well as at
the finish line and that really helped.
"It was good to be part of something that has never been done
before and I am very happy with my time. It did get quite windy and
cold but I did better than I thought I would."
Suzy was running in aid of two good causes, the leukaemia
charity the Anthony Nolan Trust and the Red and White Appeal, which
is raising money to build a transplant treatment centre in Suzy's
home town of Southampton.
Her choice of charity was inspired by her father, Allan Glass,
who successfully fought off an aggressive form of leukaemia three
years ago.
Suzy is now collecting the sponsorship money, which includes a
donation from Robinsons.
Organisers hailed the event a success and hope to establish it
as a regular fixture on the annual running calendar. The Derby
event will be followed by another Kilomathon in Scotland and more
events will follow in Northern Ireland and Wales next year.