Press Release - London Marathon - 4/11/18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                 RAF runners celebrate 100 years at the 
                    2018 Virgin Money London Marathon

11/04/2018

Twenty five runners from the RAF Athletics Association are preparing to 
take on the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon in a major year for the Royal 
Air Force as it celebrates its one hundredth birthday.

Founded on 1 April 1918, the RAF has a whole year of celebrations planned 
with a service in Westminster Abbey, a parade on The Mall and spectacular 
flypast over Buckingham Palace on 10 July.

As part of the year long series of events, the team of runners from the 
Athletics Association will be marking the occasion with their own challenge 
of running 26.2 miles. Their aim is to help raise the profile of the 
celebrations as well as money for the RAF100 Appeal, a joint venture 
between the RAF, RAF Benevolent Fund, Royal Air Forces Association, RAF 
Charitable Trust and the RAF Museum.

Squadron Leader Jo Roe is the Chief of Staff for the RAF 100 Celebrations 
and a member of the RAF Athletics Association. She says: "The RAF Athletics 
Association is also celebrating its one hundredth birthday, having been 
formed at the same time as the RAF. The Association has a long history with 
the Marathon along with the other armed services. It's a great opportunity 
to represent the RAF in the world's premier marathon and showcase the RAF 
to the public."

Jo will be running her third London Marathon despite promising herself she 
would stop at two. "It is such a brilliant event to be involved in and the 
crowds are super supportive so, with it being the centenary year, I knew I 
could not be sitting on the side lines and watching my colleagues run it. 
It was a no-brainer, this year of all years, it was really important to 
run."

To find out more about the RAF 100 celebrations visit www.raf.mod.uk/raf100/

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