Legendary fundraiser and West Brom fan 'Blind Dave' set to run last London Marathon - and it's a family affair
Legendary West Bromwich fundraiser 'Blind Dave' Heeley is putting his best foot forward once more for the London Marathon - which he says will be his last one - and this time he is keeping it in the family.
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The 67-year-old will pound the streets of the capital this morning (April 27) for the 17th time, with daughters Grace, Georgie-Lee and Dannie supporting him all the way.
They will all run the race with him, raising money for The Albion Foundation - a JustGiving page has already raised £11,160 for the cause.
Dave, who has been a West Bromwich Albion fan since birth, is no stranger to marathons, having completed many of them around the world.
In 2008 he became the first blind person to complete the seven marathon challenge, visiting Los Angeles and Tokyo amongst other cities, and has previously run ten marathons in ten days from John O'Groats to Land's End, cycling between each stage.
A message on the JustGiving page about the London event, in which 56,000 people will take part, said: "After 17 London Marathons I think I’ve earned the right to slow down a bit and so 2025 will be my final plod around the big smoke.
"What better way to go out than with my three brilliant, beautiful, talented and amazing (can you tell who wrote this…?) daughters - Grace, Georgie-Lee, and Dannie.
"It’s been a long journey, and running with my girls is the perfect way to cap it all off. They’ve been my personal cheerleaders, shouting me on, pressing two minutes on the microwave for a bowl of porridge and following me around the world to make sure I get to whatever finish line I’m chasing.
"This year, they’re the ones lacing up their shoes, and I’ll be doing my best to keep up. Let’s be real: they’re all faster than me, so there’s a good chance I’ll be playing catch-up, but at least I’ve got 26 miles to make sure I don’t come last."
The run is expected to raise £20,000 for the Albion Foundation, which supports projects in schools, for senior citizens and around loneliness and mental health amongst other subjects.
Learn more and donate here.
