On Sunday 2nd October a group of staff and students set off early in the morning to travel to London for the 2022 TCS London Marathon.

Our friends at VICTA, a charity supporting young people with vision impairment, offered NCW students the opportunity to join them on the Finish Charity Grandstand where students would be able to experience the excitement of one of the biggest sporting events in the British calendar.

The journey to London was an experience in itself as the group travelled by car, taxi and tube to reach central London. Strolling across St James’ Park it started to become busier with spectators while the sound of music, cheering and the media commentary drifted over the crowds.

Reaching the grandstand just in time for the first few finishers across the line, the group donned their VICTA t-shirts and were given flags to wave and clap banners to make a big noise as the runners came past! It was an exciting party atmosphere as the different competitor groups approached the finish line. The first group was the elite wheelchair competitors in under 90 minutes followed by the other elite participants, the fastest finishing in just over two hours! As the minutes ticked by there were thousands more amateur runners, supporting many hundreds of different charities and good causes along with the first VICTA runner who finished to great cheering from the VICTA group in the stands!

The NCW team was also tracking their own charity runner, Naomi Russell, who finished in a brilliant 4 hours and 6 minutes – along with other family members and friends of the NCW community who were running for a variety of causes.  

As the first of the fancy dress runners started appearing, the students loved hearing about some of the weird and wacky outfits passing by including a rhino, a tree, Spiderman, Scooby Doo and Spongebob Squarepants!

There were shouts of support and sympathy for those who were running out of steam and there were some emotional examples of competitors supporting others whose legs were giving out in the last few meters of the race.

A further treat was in store with an invitation to the breathtakingly beautiful building of The Reform Club to join VICTA staff and their runners for a cup of tea and a sandwich before embarking on the long journey home. It was a weary but happy group arriving back to College ready to tell their friends and care tutors all about the day.

Our thanks go to VICTA for the wonderful opportunity to join them. VICTA is a national charity that provides support to children and young adults blind or partially sighted and their families.