Kinloss Army captain takes on London Marathon for Erskine Veterans Charity
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A DECORATED Kinloss Army captain will run his first ever marathon next year to raise funds for Scotland's leading veterans' charity, Erskine.
Captain Paul Brown, of the 39 Engineer Regiment based at Kinloss Barracks in Moray, has never run a marathon before – and never intends on doing another again – but decided to take on the London Marathon to raise funds for those who have put their lives on the line for their country.
Captain Brown said: "This will be not only my first London Marathon, but my first marathon ever. I am not a regular runner, some people must think I am crazy, but I have spent many years applying to get in and this is the first time I have been successful. I was not going to turn this opportunity down.
"I have already downloaded the London Marathon Beginners Training Plan, and I will be following that for the next 16 weeks to get me started. I have kept a good standard of fitness so here’s hoping that everything goes to plan."
The 50-year-old has served in the military since May 1990 and is no stranger to facing challenges head-on, having been deployed on Operational Tours during the First Gulf War, the Yugoslavian conflict, the war in Afghanistan, and most recently Iraq.
Although the London Marathon attracts athletes of all levels from across the globe, Captain Brown isn’t worried by the prospect and is looking forward to raising funds for veterans charity Erskine.
Captain Brown said: "It will be an honour and a privilege to pull on that purple vest and represent Erskine at the London Marathon. Although I am originally from England, I have recently spent a large part of my career in Scotland and have witnessed first-hand the fantastic work that the charity carries out for Veterans across the country.
"I hope by running the London Marathon for Erskine, I help to raise awareness of the amazing work that they do in the veterans’ community. If we can raise some money along the way, then that would be even better."
