Marathons Against Violence

On the night of 25^th September 2005, on the eve of his 18^th birthday, Lloyd Fouracre died after a random alcohol-fuelled attack in his hometown of Taunton. This not only changed the lives of Lloyd’s family forever, but also those of his attackers, two of whom received life sentences for murder. Lloyd’s brother, Adam, started a campaign shortly afterwards, which became the charity Stand Against Violence. He begun the campaign in the hope that at least one other family would be spared from having to go through what his had. The charity has grown over the years and nowadays delivers violence prevention workshops in schools all over the UK. Adam’s work has led to him meeting the Queen, winning several awards and even collaborating with one of Lloyd’s killers on an anti-violence video, this young man having realised the impact of his senseless actions whilst in prison and showing genuine remorse. As with many organisations, Covid-19 has had an impact on the work that Stand Against Violence have been able to deliver, and there have been financial implications. Marathons Against Violence has been established to commemorate the 15^th anniversary of Lloyd’s death, to spread awareness nationwide of the need for this charity’s work and to raise funds so we can keep delivering our workshops, and in new areas where young people can be hard to reach. Lloyd’s birthday was 26^th September, so 26.2 miles to celebrate his life seems fitting!

Marathons Against Violence will be a nationwide challenge whereby 100 different runners from across the UK, each representing a city, town or village local to them, will run a marathon on a day of their choosing in September 2021. Each runner must choose their date at least a month before the challenge but can have a ‘reserve date’ in case of bad weather etc. They choose their own route for the marathon, which can be anything from a looped route of a local park to an off-road route on a local trail. The run will be recorded on Strava and uploaded the same day. There will be a trophy for the fastest male and female times as well as a special recognition trophy for someone who we choose. Beginner runners will also be encouraged to join in and run 2.6 miles with the marathon runner who is most local to them, either alongside them or on the same route at the same time to help encourage the marathon runner and also to inspire more people to get into running for their health.

• Support a worthwhile cause whilst taking part in friendly competition with other runners across the UK
• Be part of a nationwide event in which you will represent your local town/city
• Run a marathon on a day of your choosing within the time window
• Stay fit and motivated over winter with your training
• Know that the money you raise will go towards educating future generations about the need for violence prevention