This year, Just a Drop are delighted to have three runners in the London Marathon 2021. 

These super heroes are going to be running the most famous marathon course in the world along with 50,000 runners on the 26 mile course past iconic London landmarks. 

Thanks to their incredible efforts, we'll be able to bring safe sustainable water and sanitation to communities worldwide. 

The London Marathon takes place on 3rd October 2021.  Whether you are an experienced marathon runner, or this is your first attempt, there are a variety of training plans available to suit all levels of runner.  All runners must be at least 18 years of age on the date of the marathon.  

Brendan Hanlon, Head of Fundraising and Communications at Just a Drop

Number of Previous Marathons: 8

I’ve been running now for around 10 years and in 2019, I really missed doing a marathon. I decided, then, that this year I’d really go for it, do the Brighton marathon as usual, but also do London and hopefully Nice, so I can raise a bit of money for Just a Drop and also lose a bit of the weight I picked up during lockdown. 

I started running as the Brighton marathon starts opposite where I live. My first ever run was just round the block, I was completely done in, but each week I did a little bit extra and actually started enjoying it. And of course, working for Just a Drop means I know first hand just how good our work is and the impact we achieve.

Support Brendan here: http://www.justgiving.com/BrenHanlon

Beverley Newbury, Managing Director at VCCP Health

Number of Previous Marathons: 0

The past year has been really tough for me following the loss of my father to covid. I'm lucky to live next to a beautiful park, and I found that running helped me to cope.

So when I was offered the chance to run the marathon for Just a Drop, it felt like a fantastic positive challenge for me to focus on. I'm really inspired by the work of the charity and am aiming to smash the sponsorship target to help transform more lives.

Support Beverley here: http://www.justgiving.com/Beverley-LondonMarathon 

Howie Birch, Account Manager at VCCP

Number of Previous Marathons: 0

I was one of those people who properly got into running during lockdown. And over the past year and a half, I’ve found the physical and mental benefits of it to have been an absolute lifesaver in what has been a pretty brutal time for everyone. 

So when the chance to run the London marathon came up, I was super keen to get involved. Not just for the challenge and the experience, but also the opportunity to get behind an amazing cause, and hopefully do my little bit to make a positive difference to the lives of those supported by Just a Drop’s great work.

Support Howie here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/howie-birch 

Thanks to runners like Brendan, Howie and Beverley, Just a Drop is able to transform lives through our safe water and sanitation projects. And that's exactly what we did for 12-year old Ann. 

Ann attended Kaliambeu Primary School, a primary school in Machakos County, Kenya, an semi-arid area with little rainfall. 

The school had been struggling to access clean water, which exposed them to several challenges which hindered a smooth flow of their programs.

Girls often walked to collect water meaning that they would miss out on school, and when they were able to attend they were so tired from making the long journey to collect water that they often fell behind in their studies and were unable to concentrate.

Just a Drop worked with the school to build a rainwater harvesting tank - a tank that harvests water from the roof of the school during Kenya's rainy season and then provides a sustainable source of water for the school until the following rainy season when the process begins again.

Life has really changed at the school. Ann said: 

If you'd like to find out how you could take on a challenge for Just a Drop and help us reach more children like Ann with safe water, please contact Alice Mellar: [email protected]