Kind-hearted friends have raised more than £1,800 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) after taking on running challenges at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Despite only taking up running a few weeks earlier, teacher Azad Uddin, 26, completed the 5K Queen Elizabeth parkrun while paramedic Aqeeb Hanif, 29, and accountant Zain Hanif, 26, tackled the 10K distance.
The trio, from Bedford, were determined to challenge themselves while raising money for a cause close to their hearts and initially set a target of £500.
However, they exceeded all expectations, raising £1,860.
Azad said: “When I saw how much we’d raised, I was astonished. Our total had jumped up and that made me feel humbled and overwhelmed.
“We play a lot of team sport, including football, so asked our friends and team-mates to support us and, thankfully, they gave very generously.
“I did the 5K and felt it went well. I probably went off a bit quickly – the adrenaline got the better of me – but I managed to pace myself in the second half and was really pleased to complete it.
“It was a great event and very enjoyable. Even though I haven’t been running for long, I’m the kind of person who likes having something to work towards. Having an end goal spurs me on.
“Aqeeb and Zain are also relatively new to running and they both did brilliantly.
“Both were pleased with their times, and we were all delighted to complete our challenges.”
Although they work in very different professions, the friends were united by a shared ambition to make a positive difference.
“We all felt strongly about raising funds for a charity that supports children and families,” said Azad, who finished his 5K in 38 minutes and 13 seconds.
“As a primary school teacher, that’s especially important to me and, after learning more about EACH, we were all incredibly impressed. It’s a local charity that does so much amazing work, providing specialist care and support when families need it most. It was our pleasure to help in a small way by taking on this challenge.”
Azad and Zain have been friends since their school days, while Aqeeb is Zain’s older brother.
Azad is pictured in the centre alongside Zain (left) and Aqeeb after completing their challenge on Saturday, 11th July.
