A TEAM of two from a Frome opticians took on the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London on Sunday 14th October, raising more than £1,000 for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
With no previous running experience, Specsavers optician Chole Plaxton and store manager Mike Taylor signed up in February and started training. Despite Mike sustaining an injury in the summer which meant no running for four weeks, they completed the 13.1 mile course together in two hours and six minutes.
“It was a very cold and wet day but once we started, the rain stopped and we had a really good view of London from normally busy roads,’ says Mike. ‘We were over the moon to complete the race, especially given my injury. We also held a bake sale at both Frome and Warminster Specsavers stores to help boost the fundraising total and are very grateful to everyone that has supported us, helping to raise a fantastic £1,115 for RNIB.’
Store director Richard Goring could not take part, but instead gave a generous donation of £325.
The Royal Parks Half Marathon route takes in the capital’s world-famous landmarks on closed roads, and four of London’s eight Royal Parks – Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens.
You can still make a donation to either Chloe or Mike by visiting Just Giving and typing in their full name. For more information, pop into Specsavers at 19 Westway Centre, Frome, call 01373 451 180 or go to https://www.specsavers.co.uk /stores/frome
