Local takes on London Marathon for SSAFA

26 February 2024

Sarah Borland, from Ely, Cambridgeshire, is undertaking one of the greatest physical challenges the UK has to offer: the London Marathon. She is running for a cause that is close to her heart, SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.

Sarah was born on a British Army base in Munster, Germany. Her father, John, was in the Royal Artillery and her family lived in many different places, before finally returning to Ely in the early 1990s. Her parents run the Fountain public house, and are focusing on raising money to help Sarah qualify to run for the charity as she needs to raise over £2,500. Sarah’s mum, Judith, has volunteered for the SSAFA for 30 years and is keen to support in any way she can.

Sarah said: “Life in the military has its ups and downs, it can be brilliant, but sometimes it can be really hard too. I know firsthand how hard it can be to transition back to “civvy street”, as my dad left the army after 18 years in the early 90s, when I was seven years old, and I had only really known life on military bases. The work SSAFA does in this area is enormously valuable and helps people who have served and their families to thrive in their new lives back in what many of us take for granted as being “normal”.

SSAFA runs a nationwide mentoring service, with specially trained volunteers who help people manoeuvre through the difficult changes that can happen to a service person and their family when they leave military service.

Sarah loves running and is enjoying training with her dog, Trudy, who has her own Instagram page #onepawmile. Sarah has run the London Marathon once before and has run all the major European Marathons and the Chicago Marathon too, making this one her tenth so far.

Sarah said: “There are many wonderful things about running and physical exercise, but in particular I find the inclusive and welcoming community and the people I meet, be it at my running club, or at Park Run. I am so looking forward to meeting other SSAFA runners and their families on the day of the marathon itself.”