This weekend four-time Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington will be racing the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon for\u00a0Epilepsy Society and Cancer Research UK.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI decided to run because it takes me a full circle to the place where my passion for endurance sports was born \u2013 London Marathon 2002 \u2013 and to be a role model for my daughter,\u201d she says. \u201cI also craved a new challenge that didn\u2019t involve a big swim or bike beforehand!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
You can support Chrissie and donate here<\/strong><\/p>\n Chrissie and all the other runners will be given a royal send-off by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, who are the event\u2019s official race starters. They will also be joined by double Olympic rowing gold medallists Helen Glover and Heather Stanning.<\/p>\n Their Royal Highnesses are spearheading the Heads Together campaign to end stigma and change the conversation on mental health for everyone. They have pledged to make this year\u2019s race \u2018the mental health marathon\u2019 and are encouraging runners, whatever great cause they are supporting, to wear the blue Heads Together headband that will be given to them when they collect their race number.<\/p>\n For 220 columnist Tim Heming, who is running the Marathon in aid of the mental health charity Mind, this campaign is close to his heart:<\/p>\n \u201cDear old Bob Hoskins was telling us It\u2019s Good To Talk in TV ads over 20 years ago, but that stiff upper lip British stoicism still prevails with so many of us\u2026 particularly blokes.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why it was refreshing to hearing the princes speak out this week on how repressing emotions over their mum\u2019s death led to mental health problems. Harry and William\u2019s words show mental health is clearly no respecter of privilege, and while the attitude of \u201cThere will always always be someone worse off than me\u201d might be laudable, it doesn\u2019t mean you should neglect your own well-being.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s also great to see 2017\u2019s London labelled the \u2018Mental Health Marathon\u2019 and charities like Mind, Rethink and Heads Together do some outstanding work in trying to break stigma \u2013 both improving and saving lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI know from my own experience that you cannot tackle everything alone. Trying to fix the bit that\u2019s broken with the very bit that\u2019s broken, isn\u2019t so easy. Professional help is important but not always easily accessible, so an ear to bend, or a shoulder to cry on, can be a lifeline.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPs. I apologise in advance for the fetching blue headband.\u201d<\/p>\n Depression: a triathlete\u2019s experience<\/p>\n You can support Tim and donate here<\/strong><\/p>\n The Royals\u2019 Heads Together campaign aims to end the stigma around mental health and change the national conversation on mental health and wellbeing.\u00a0Earlier in the week Prince Harry opened up to\u00a0Bryony Gordon from The Telegraph about his own experiences and seeking counselling to help him come to terms with his mother\u2019s death\u00a0Download the podcast here<\/strong><\/p>\n The three Royals will push a giant button at exactly 10:00am to send 35 elite men and more than 39,000 mass race runners on their 26.2-mile journey from Shooters Hill in south east London to Westminster.<\/p>\n Among the elite athletes who will be racing will be Ethiopian distance running legend Kenenisa Bekele, two-time world champion Abel Kirui, two-time London Marathon women\u2019s champion Mary Keitany, and the current men\u2019s and women\u2019s world champions, Ghirmay Ghebreslassie and Mare Dibaba.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Meanwhile, 43-year-old supermum Jo Pavey is just one of 19 of the best British distance runners in the country who will be vying for a handful of coveted places on the nation\u2019s marathon team for this summer\u2019s World Athletics Championships in London.<\/p>\n There will also be more than 70 para-athletes competing in the fourth World Para Athletics Marathon World Cup, including reigning wheelchair champion Marcel Hug and Boston Marathon winner Manuela Sch\u00e4r, plus Britain\u2019s six-times Paralympic champion David Weir who\u2019s going for a record seventh London Marathon victory.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The elites will be followed by thousands of club athletes, including Helen Glover & Heather Stanning, double Olympic rowing gold medallists<\/p>\n<\/section>\n