Seven intrepid members of staff from Exeter College are pulling on their running shoes to brave the 2016 Virgin Money London Marathon.

A number of the runners are raising funds for good causes, including Teenage Cancer Trust, the official charity of the year at Exeter College.

And to help raise more funds for its official charity of the year, the college has teamed up with its catering partner Taylor Shaw to boost fundraising.

Taylor Shaw is supporting a competition to guess the collective finishing time of the college’s marathon runners at college coffee and food outlets across its campuses.

This year’s London Marathon takes place on 24th April 2016.

The college runners are:

• Dawn Barnard, aged 29, from Yettington, Marketing Assistant (Events and Materials) running for Children with Cancer UK;
• Oliver Bycroft, aged 26, from Teignmouth, Programme Leader, Faculty of Sport, Leisure and Tourism, running for The Lions Barber Collective;
• Steve Campion, aged 45, from Somerset, Executive Director of Finance and Resources, who will be running in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust and Breast Cancer Now;
• Jo Crocker, aged 34, from Exeter, Faculty Coordinator, Faculty of Healthcare, Childcare and Public Services, running for Alzheimer’s Research UK and Hospice UK;
• Martin McEneny, aged 48, from Exeter, Systems Technician, Haldon Trail Runners;
• Scott Davies, aged 28, from Newton Poppleford, Lecturer Faculty of Sport, Leisure and Tourism, running for Anthony Nolan;
• Stephen Mariadas, aged 41, from Newton Abbot. Deputy Head of Maths and Science, running for the college charity – Teenage Cancer Trust.

Among the marathon runners is Steve Campion, Executive Director of Finance and Resources, at Exeter College.

He said: “I’m really proud to be part of a team of seven colleagues across the college who have taken up this challenge, each with our own personal goals. This supports the healthy living and wellbeing agenda that we are supporting within the college and with our partners across the city.

“Students and staff have really embraced supporting the Teenage Cancer Trust as our charity of the year, and our fundraising will hopefully go some way to contributing to a record breaking total for the college to have raised. I’d also like to say a big thank you to Taylor Shaw, for supporting this initiative”

Vince Pearson, from Taylor Shaw, said: “As the college's catering partner, Taylor Shaw is delighted to support the fundraising efforts of the magnificent seven. Good luck to them all.”

Melissa Kent, Regional Fundraiser for the South West at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “We are so very grateful to Exeter College for taking on such an incredible challenge and raising vital funds for young people with cancer. Every penny the college runners raise will help us to support teenagers and young adults facing a diagnosis of cancer.

“We have come so far in our mission to help young people suffering from this devastating disease. There is, however, still much more to do and for every young person we help, there is another we can’t, which is why we are so very thankful for Exeter College’s amazing fundraising efforts.”