A bishop swapped his robes and mitre for shorts and trainers to run one of the toughest and most spectacular marathons in the UK.
The Bishop of Bangor, the Rt Revd Andrew John took part in this year’s Snowdonia Marathon which curls around Wales’ highest peak and through the heart of his diocese. He ran it alongside his wife Caroline, who also serves in the church, as a deacon. Between them they raised more than £1,000 for the Tyddyn Bach Trust, an HIV/Aids centre in Penmaenmawr of which the Bishop is a trustee. They were sponsored by parishes across the Bangor Diocese.
The marathon, which follows a circular route through the National Park from Llanberis, reaches 1,200ft at its height and goes through renowned beauty spots, such as the Llanberis Pass, Beddgelert and Bwlch y Groes.
Bishop Andy completed the race in three hours 49 minutes, just a minute ahead of Caroline. Finishing the run was a particularly significant milestone for Caroline as she was still recovering from a cycling accident last year and had to run with one arm strapped to her side.
Bishop Andy, a keen short-distance runner, said, “It was a wonderful run – but the last four miles were desperately hard! Sponsorship for the Tyddyn Bach Trust really made it all worthwhile, and running with Caroline kept me going at the end! We would like to thank everyone who sponsored us and we’re delighted to have raised so much money for the Trust which does tremendous work on a shoestring budget.”
He admits that fitting a training session for a marathon alongside his duties as a bishop and as a father of four children proved a challenge. His mid-week sessions had to be slotted in at 7am before morning services and the school-run.
The 28th Snowdonia Marathon took place on Saturday, October 30.
