25th March 2008

UPDATE March 2008.......

Oxfordshire pubs support marathon pint and Cancer charity

Sweepstakes are running at 31 Hook Norton pubs across Oxfordshire in support of the brewery’s ‘Marathon Pint’, who is running the Flora London Marathon on 13 April for blood cancer charity Leukaemia Research. ‘Marathon Pint,’ from Oxfordshire brewery Hook Norton, is gathering his own fan base with a Bridget Jones style online diary to chart his progress, a Facebook group and a Justgiving page to collect sponsorship funds.

‘Marathon Pint’ and his pair of legs Gill Begnor are aiming to raise £4,000 for Leukaemia Research. Celebrity supporters of ‘Marathon Pint’ include comedian Dave Spikey, survival expert Bear Grylls and Sir Ian Botham, President of Leukaemia Research, who says: “Good luck. I’ve drunk many a pint but never seen one run a marathon before! Your continued support of Leukaemia Research is fantastic.”

“I decided that I wanted to do something different with my life and a marathon seemed the obvious choice,” explains ‘Marathon Pint’, who has a fruity aroma and a light taste. “All I needed was a pair of legs. When Gill came in to the village shop one day, I saw that she had two and seemed to like beer so I went home with her.”

Gill, who lives in Hook Norton village, became a supporter of Leukaemia Research through the influence of the locally-based brewery. Managing Director James Clarke lost his sister Victoria to leukaemia in 1986. This inspired the Clarke family and the Hook Norton village to support the charity, and in 20 years they have raised over £190,000. James Clarke says: “All of us at Hook Norton Brewery are incredibly proud of Marathon Pint undertaking this massive challenge.”

As well as having friends cheering him on, ‘Marathon Pint’ will be running in good company as he passes by some of London’s most famous landmarks. As a member of Leukaemia Research’s Banana Army running team sponsored by TVTimes and Asics, he will be running with TV celebrities such as Emmerdale’s Tony Audenshaw and Chris Chittell. The charity’s celebrity team includes faces from the world of TV and film who compete in triathlons and runs to raise millions of pounds in support of Leukaemia Research’s vital work.

Media enquiries - please contact Serena Snoad in the Leukaemia Research press office on 020 7209 5037, ssnoad@lrf.org.uk or press mobile 07795 516921.

Interviews and Photos - ‘Marathon Pint’ and Gill Begnor are available for interview. High-resolution images of ‘Marathon Pint’ are also available.

Training Diary - online at: www.marathonpint.co.uk and to sponsor 'Marathon Pint' and Gill, visit www.justgiving.com/marathonpint.

Celebrity Supporters - include Sir Ian Botham, comedian Dave Spikey, soap stars from Coronation Street and Emmerdale, survival expert Bear Grylls and Good Beer Guide’s Roger Protz. For more details see: www.marathonpint.co.uk/messages1.html