A man who ran the London Marathon in aid of the hospice that cared for his father in his final days has smashed his fundraising target by more than £2,000.
Alex Garber of Congleton finished last Sunday’s big race in the capital in just over three and a half hours.
He had been concerned beforehand about the possibility of being injured as he trained for the 26-mile run but said afterwards: “I’m pleased to say I made it to the start line on Sunday without picking up an injury, and successfully completed the London Marathon with a time of 3:31:48. The weather was spot on, if not a little warm, but it brought out all the crowds and the support was fantastic.”
Mr Garber raised money in aid of the Sue Ryder charity, which supports those living with a life-limiting illness or grief.
His late father Warren, previously of Daisybank Drive in Congleton, was cared for until his death in April last year at one of its hospices in Gloucester and Alex praised the “warmth and compassion” of nurses and carers who looked after him.
He had originally set a fundraising target of £3,000.
Mr Garber said: “The current (and likely final) fundraising total sits at £5,387, which is fantastic and has blown my £3,000 target out of the water.
“One cool statistic from JustGiving is that since setting up my crowdfunding page back in June 2025, I’ve run more than 1,617km in training.” Helping him toward his fundraising total was the Sunday Run Club at Sienna’s café on High Street in Congleton, as previously reported by the “Chronicle”.
Runners meet at the café once a month before striding out and then returning to enjoy a well-deserved slice of cake and a brew.
Mr Garber joined the café runners on one of their Sunday morning get-togethers as the London Marathon approached, who between them donated £734, while Sienna’s contributed a further £279.
Warren Garber ran Restyle Kitchens in Congleton, which was based on Silk Street.
(Photo: Alex Garber).
