Martyn Bird

SUPPORTING THE ABF

This is my fundraising page and I hope that it helps to make a difference to the lives of soldiers, veterans and their families.

As a veteran I am naturally inspired by the work of the Army Benevolent Fund.  I want to support them by raising money as part of my participation in 2026 TCS London Marathon. 

There is also a slightly selfish aspect to my fundraising.  Having been fit and active all my adult life, my body started to feels the effects of my physical exertions and on medical advice my activities were put on hold.  After a long wait, I managed to get 3 separate surgeries in the last year (one new hip and procedures on either shoulder). I also managed to get lucky on the London Marathon ballot and have gained my place in next years race.

There has been extensive rehab and surgery since my last op in July and this morning I had my first proper road run in a long time. I say proper, it was more a run/walk but it was a start.

I now have 6 months to get into shape and get my current projected marathon time down from almost 7 hrs to hopefully sub 4.5 hrs.

Having been a soldier for over 35 years my chosen charity is very close to my heart, The Army Benevolent Fund (The Soldiers Charity).

Please help me help them by giving whatever you can using the 'donate' button. The more people that know about ABF, the greater their impact, so please also spread the word by sharing my page with your friends and family. 

I’ll post regular updates on my progress and thank you in advance for your generosity, it means a lot!