Alan Hayes did the London Marthon a few weeks back, raising pledges on The DoNation for the third time. We caught up with him to find out how it went…

So, what made you decide to do the London Marathon?

I was pretty hungry to break 2 hours 55 minutes and be in top 2% of the field. On top of that it’s a fast course, offering a PB potential and my wife has 3 London medals and I have none – so it was about time!

And how was it? 

From the off I went for my sub 2hr 55m goal but I realised it was unlikely by half way, despite being on schedule, as my heart rate was too high to be sustainable. I actually ran myself to a standstill numerous times in the last 10 miles, and I finished in 3 hours 4 minutes and 15 seconds and in the top 8%!

Wow – that still sounds mind-bogglingly, leg-wobblingly fast to me! Would you recommend The DoNation to others running the London Marathon?

Most certainly. Running for a cause or purpose that is beyond just my own personal satisfaction (vanity?) is hugely powerful. The DoNation has this wonderful disruptive quality – once someone engages and makes a pledge, there is a change the behaviour may stick and may be propagated.

You’ve used The DoNation a couple of times in the past to raise sponsorship; how was it asking people to make pledges again?

Getting my narrative right, and making it suitably compelling at a personal rather than an environmental level, is the challenge of repeat asks. About 20% of my colleagues made a pledge this time, up from about 10% previously, so asking people to pledge again does have a benefit.

How do you reach out to new people each time you raise sponsorship on The DoNation?

Seeking ambassadors in different places is key to this. I have used Twitter extensively for this recent campaign, as well as internal emails to colleagues. Contacts who have different networks to me are a target for next time. I’ll also think of using Facebook and perhaps Instagram next time to help spread the word.

We’re delighted to hear you will continue using The DoNation for your challenges! You can still support Alan’s London Marathon by making a pledge for him here or check out his blog for more details.