Acquis is proud to support Tomas Derek, who has been part of the Acquis team for twelve years – as he commits to running this year’s London Marathon.

Tomas will be raising funds for Cardiomyopathy UK, a charity supporting those suffering with heart disease and their families, in memory of a close friend’s father.

Having started training for the London Marathon in September, Tomas admits it has been a difficult journey, particularly as exercise hadn’t previously been a part of his routine.

“I have done very little, if any exercise over the last 20 years so this is quite a shock to the system. Going from couch to marathon in around eight months, at 40 years old is going to be very tough.

“When I first started training, I was shocked how out of shape I was and what a struggle running just 1km was. It was hard to imagine, at that point, that I would be capable of running the full marathon distance in a few short months, but I wasn’t prepared to throw in the towel.”

As well as managing his general fitness, Tomas has been battling ongoing joint injuries – which forced him to forgo an entire month of training. Despite this, he has remained committed to his goal, and together with a few close friends, has so far raised £3,690 for Cardiomyopathy UK.

You can follow Tomas’ progress on TikTok. To make a donation, visit the JustGiving page.

Good luck Tomas!