David and Sue French write:  “On Sunday, 10th October 2010, our great friends, Helen and Jeremy Tipper, ran the Chicago Marathon in aid of the Niemann-Pick Disease Group (UK).  We are very grateful again for their huge efforts and thank everyone who donated to this fundraising effort.  Here are Jeremy’s thoughts on the marathon having just got home from Chicago last October”.

......"Just done it!  Helen and I got back from Chicago yesterday having both just about survived the marathon on Sunday. Chicago is supposed to be a marathon where people set very fast times as it is completely flat.  However this year it was an absolute stinker as it was seriously hot.  There was a large neon temperature gauge just before the 20 mile mark that read 89 degrees Fahrenheit which, it is fair to say, doesn't make for ideal running conditions!

Despite this, it was a fantastic event with millions of spectators lining the route cheering everyone on and over 36,000 finishers. Of these, Hels came home in a remarkable 3 hours 20 mins, only six minutes off her PB and 20th in the 40+ women’s category. I crossed the line in a rather less remarkable 4 hours 25 mins, but frankly was delighted just to finish as the wheels came off completely after 20 miles.

10.10.10 was certainly a memorable day for us!  

 

 

We really want to thank all of you who have donated to our fundraising effort for the Niemann-Pick Disease Group (UK) (NPDG (UK)). Thanks to your generosity, we have raised over £2500 before Gift Aid (to add to the great total from last year’s marathon) which will help the NPDG (UK) fund trials into treatments for the disease that we hope will benefit those with Niemann-Pick Type C, including our great friend William French.

Thanks again

Jeremy & Helen"