Latest Footprints News & Updates

Having played sport at a competitive level most of my life I love the idea of a physical challenge. At the end of 2021 I was asked to take part in Manchester and London Marathon to raise money for the Footprints Foundation. Without hesitation or consideration for the fact that I had not ran a Marathon before I eagerly accepted the challenge.

Manchester Marathon was at the start of April so training began in the coldest and wettest months of the year. Due to the dark nights and mornings I did a lot of my training on the treadmill… who knew I was crazy enough to run on the treadmill for 3 hours!

I followed a training programme as this held me accountable and kept me on track. I also used Strava to track my runs and took great enjoyment in seeing my running stats increase each week, some weeks I was hitting 60kms per week! (which now seems like a distant memory when compared to my recent stats..) Unfortunately, I caught COVID-19 3 weeks before the marathon and was quite unwell. This disrupted the last few weeks of training and knocked my confidence, so come marathon day I was very nervous. Luckily the weather was great - a cool, crisp and sunny day. The crowds of Manchester were out in full force. People lined the streets with banners, water and jelly babies. I was completely overwhelmed by the kindness and support of the spectators and other runners.

Having never ran a marathon before the last few miles were really tough… the slower I ran the further and further away the finish line felt and the harder it was to keep on going. Thankfully I reached the finish line and in a time of 4 hours and 8 minutes which I was absolutely delighted with.  

I reflected on my experience of Manchester Marathon and changed my approach for London. My main focus was on good quality runs. I made an effort to rest appropriately between the long runs to avoid overtraining and burning out. I changed my focus from speed to distance and decided that I would increase the distance of my last long run so that my body was better prepared for those last few gruelling miles. I also decided that I wasn’t going to run for a specific time and just wanted to enjoy every run without putting pressure on myself.  During the first few miles of the race there was a sudden change in weather which led to a major outfit faux pau. As the temperature rose, I ditched my raincoat and quickly started to weigh up what was next. I discovered a new level of multitasking as I managed to unpin my race number, remove my running vest and long sleeve black top (this was the big error) and re-pin my race number all whilst still running.  

Having tackled my first obstacle of the race all I had to do now was stay on my feet…easier said than done. At mile 13 I took a tumble and fell flat on my face. Another kind runner picked me up off the floor and placed me back on my feet. With a large tear in my leggings and blood seeping out of my knee I ploughed on to the end. Although I was in pain, my body felt so much stronger both physically and mentally than it did for Manchester Marathon.  

Despite all of the above the race was an amazing experience with so many memorable moments.  

Running over Tower Bridge with thousands of supporters roaring at the side lines is an experience I will never forget.

I would encourage everyone and anyone to enter a marathon at some point in their life – it’s an incredible experience and made even more special knowing that the hard work has contributed to a greater cause.  

I felt extremely proud running in aid of the Footprints Foundation. Supporting such a worthy cause and raising money that will change people lives who are much less fortunate is a great feeling. I am absolutely delighted that we surpassed our fund-raising target, raising over £3,300 for the foundation. I hope that I can support the charity again in the future.

We at The Footprints Foundation are proud to support Harambee for Kenya with a delivery of Arsenal F.C. kit

We are incredibly honoured you decided to run a marathon in order to aid the Footprints Foundation. Thank you for all your hard effort and thank you to everyone who donated!

A marathon is the dream of many runners, but not something a lot of them do.

We would like to send huge congratulations to our marathon runners Dan and Richard.

Thanks to their dedication we have raised vital funds for the Footprints Foundation.

Our team of cyclists completed the North coast 500 miles.

A very big thank you to all involved in this fundraising event, especially our hard working cyclists: Adam Kean, Tim Williams and John Workman!

A worthy donation from Footprints Foundation with size 4 soccer balls in need for our under 9s till under 13s training, Meadowlands Academy FC coaches can now focus on polishing basics and ball control on these youngsters.

Thanks to Footprints Foundation we are on the journey to create more responsible professional players. Soweto will never be the same again.😊 -
Tefo Laka, MAFC General Secretary