Supporting Our Own

James’ Journey to the London Landmarks Half Marathon

At Highcross Leicester, we love celebrating the incredible achievements of our team members, and today, we’re shining the spotlight on James Richards, a dedicated employee at Hotel Chocolat and an inspiring runner who is taking on the London Landmarks Half Marathon!

Why James Signed Up

James has always had a passion for running and was looking for the perfect half marathon challenge. When he saw the London Landmarks Half Marathon on social media, he knew it was the one. The event offers a unique opportunity to race through iconic sights across London, and after entering the ballot, James was lucky enough to secure a place in the second round!

His First Half Marathon Race

Although James has trained at this distance before, this will be his first official race of 13.1 miles. It’s an exciting milestone, and he’s eager to push himself and see what he can achieve on race day.

Training Through Challenges

Training hasn’t been easy, James has battled ligament damage in his knees, which made running difficult at times. But he didn’t give up. With the help of his 11-year-old son, who has been his training partner and biggest supporter, James has worked hard to regain his strength.

Now, he’s back on track, training 4 to 5 days a week with a mix of speed work, hill runs, and different distances. Despite the setbacks, he’s feeling stronger than ever and ready to take on the challenge!

Race Day Excitement and Challenges

James is looking forward to the incredible atmosphere of race day, running alongside his friend and taking in the sights of London. However, he knows the race will have its tough moments, especially when navigating through thousands of runners and pushing past the mental barrier at mile 10.

Running for a Meaningful Cause: Supporting Loros Hospice

James isn’t just running for himself, he’s racing for a cause that means the world to him. He’s fundraising for Loros Hospice, a charity that provided exceptional care to his mother before she passed away when he was just 10 years old.

The support Loros gave to James’ family during such a difficult time was life-changing, and now, he’s determined to give back. Every donation helps ensure that other families facing similar situations receive the same compassion and care.

How You Can Support James

We are incredibly proud of James and his commitment to both this race and this important cause. If you’d like to support his fundraiser, any donation, big or small will make a real difference, .

To follow James’ journey, you can find him on Strava (James Richards), and he will also be sharing a live race tracker on the day so we can all cheer him on!

James, we’re all behind you! Good luck from everyone at Highcross Leicester!