'I always wanted to do something' - London Marathon runners gear up for slog

Connections of Baaeed might have shied away from 1m4f in Sunday's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but a host of the sport's participants are not daunted by 26.2 miles in the TCS London Marathon, which starts hours before the Longchamp highlight.

They include Sophia Upton, the sister of Cheltenham Festival-winning rider Tim Mitchell who now works as a starter for the BHA.

A capable rider who partnered more than 50 winners under rules, she is raising money for the Injured Jockeys Fund.

The 50-year-old Upton, whose father Richard Mitchell trained subsequent Champion Hurdle hero Rooster Booster at the start of his career, said: "I ran the marathon seven years ago and never thought I would be doing it again.

"However, last November we all lost an amazing friend, Jason Warner, who was a huge part of the point-to-point and racing community, so I decided to apply again and I'll be running on Sunday for the IJF."

Brian Watson: 'I've been training five days a week since April this year'Credit: Racing Welfare

Racing Welfare's Brian Watson, a familiar face in Lambourn, will also take part and said: "It's been on my bucket list of things to do before I'm 40 for a while. I've only got a couple of years left to tick off the final items so, as I am relatively fit this year, I thought I'd give it a go.

"I've been training five days a week since April, only missing the odd day. It’s been difficult trying to juggle a full-time job, social life and training. You can't just squeeze in a half-hour run. It commands long periods of training – a good two to three hours at a time. 17.5 miles is the furthest I've run, so hopefully that sets me up for a good crack at it this weekend."

Watson, among a host of runners for Racing Welfare, added: "Not only do I get to see the front-line impact we have, and how we make a massive difference to people's lives, but Racing Welfare also supported me when I was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 18.

“I was working in Scotland, away from home and new to racing. Raye Wilkinson [awarded an MBE for services to the horseracing community in 2019] was the welfare officer in Middleham at that time.

"He supported me with advice and guidance and it was comforting to know someone was there to support me when I was ill. Since then I always wanted to do something for Racing Welfare."

Long-serving Godolphin employee Christopher Burns also lines up for the organisation.

"They do fantastic work for people who currently work in racing and those who have now retired," he said.

Racing Welfare's rider can be supported via this section on its site, while donations for Upton can be made on her JustGiving page.

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