London to Berlin to Delhi - Going the Distance

Not just one, or two, but three: Here are the stories of three marathons run by two supporters in three very different cities.

On Sunday, 24th April 2016 staunch Haven supporters Arkady and Natasha ran the 26 mile London marathon, proudly displaying Haven as their charity of choice. The Russian couple, who have competed in many half-marathons across the world, decided to take part in the London Marathon for the first time after visiting the Haven centre in January. They were taken aback by the work we do on the ground and were inspired to show their support.

Unfortunately, they were bamboozled by our imperial system and mistook 26 miles for kilometres. Despite the dramatic increase in distance, their steadfast determination allowed them to complete the full London Marathon course in a highly respectable 4 hours.

The Haven Committee would like to extend sincere apologies for not clarifying this incredibly important detail earlier, and still remain astounded to this day at their achievement. We thank you, Arkady and Natasha, for overcoming what could have easily stopped most people.

As a stopover to their next destination, Arkady and Natasha took a relaxing day in Berlin, on the 24th September with a quick appearance at the Berlin marathon, just another notch on their 2016 belt.

After the London surprise, Arkady and Natasha double checked their Delhi half marathon on 20th November, and were feeling pretty relaxed. That said, there were highs of 30°, a lot of sunshine, and high humidity. Nonetheless, these two experienced runners crossed the line with smiles. This rounded off a very good year of fundraising for Haven.