Epsom marathon runner races to charity's rescue

A racing secretary for a leading race horse trainer in Epsom will be lining up to start the London Marathon on behalf of the national stable staff charity Racing Welfare on the 26th April. Hazel Imeson who works for John Akehurst at the Clear Height stables just opposite the entrance to Epsom racecourse has stepped in at the eleventh hour to run the gruelling 26 miles slog around the capital following a series of withdrawals by some of the Newmarket based charity’s other runners.

Racing Welfare’s communications executive Richard Negus was delighted by Hazel’s offer to run the marathon for the charity “We have had three of our runners pull out over the last few weeks, two have received training injuries and one suffered a horrible accident when he was kicked in the head, breaking his skull, by one of the horses he looks after at Sir Michael Stoute’s yard in Newmarket. We are so grateful to Hazel for stepping in at such short notice; the sponsorship money she raises will go directly to helping stable and stud staff who suffer from injury and hardship.”

Mother of three Hazel from Langley Vale has worked for John Akehurst since 1990, and has run in the London Marathon three times before, with her first effort taking place just six days prior to her wedding in 1989. Hazel said “My wedding anniversary is three days after the marathon this year, so I suppose you could say it is a novel way to celebrate 20 years of married life! But when I heard about the stable lad who was going to be running for Racing Welfare getting kicked in the head, I rang them up straight away offering to help them out”. Hazel trains with the Tadworth Athletics club and has been one of their members for twenty years. If you would like to help sponsor Hazel’s Londonmarathon run please call 01638 560763 or go to www.justgiving.com/hazelimeson1.