Biggleswade men's mental health group to tackle virtual London Marathon

Determined members of a Biggleswade men's mental health group are tackling a virtual London marathon this Sunday.

On October 2, whilst visiting the town or its neighbours Sandy, Potton and Sutton, you may see seven members of the peer support network For Men To Talk walking 26.2 miles.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the London Marathon moved to the month of October in 2021 and 2022, from the normal April, and also introduced a virtual event.

For Men To Talk founder, Luke Newman, said: “One of the most important things of being fit, is that it relieves stress and eliminates depression. It’s something that is discussed frequently in our ‘For Men To Talk’ physical and virtual meetings.

“With that in mind, I have been looking for an opportunity for the men in the group to work towards something, whilst getting fit. The Virtual London Marathon was a perfect fit”.

Joining Luke on the walk will be James Dunn, Jonathan Gorman, Ben Jarvis, Nick Stewart, Julian Treves-Brown and Michael Thorn.

All men have been following a 12-week plan, hoping to improve their self-perception and self-esteem, mood and sleep quality, and also to reduce stress, anxiety and fatigue.

“The training has helped not only my physical but my mental health too,” said James Dunn. “It has given me a positive focus and helps clear the mind. I feel a great sense of pride and achievement.”

Jonathan Gorman agreed: “Our training walks for the virtual London Marathon have ticked a lot of the boxes that help me with my mental health. It includes a sense of purpose and a sense of achievement, fresh air and exercise, friendship and good company."

“Getting out and active with the guys, training for this big event has been massive for both my physical and mental health,” concluded Ben Jarvis. “To be working towards this with a great group of guys, talking and enjoying the fresh air on a weekly basis has really pushed my mentality in a positive direction and I look forward to the big day with the boys.”

As well as improving their physical and mental health, the group will be raising money which will go towards helping more men at ‘For Men To Talk’.

For more details and to donate, you can visit the team's JustGiving page.