Bonnybridge vet pounding pavements in Sunday's London Marathon to coin in cash for charity

Bonnybridge vet John Goacher is no stranger to pounding the pavements for a good cause

Bonnybridge vet John Goacher is no stranger to pounding the pavements for a good cause, having run the Paris Marathon back in 2022 for Cancer Research.

However, he admitted Sunday’s London Marathon is something special.

"It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” he said, just days before he was due to head down south for the big event. “It’s the biggest fundraising event in the world. Most people apply for years and still can’t get in.

"There are about a million people who apply for it and only 70,000 get to actually run it.”

Hoping 2025 could finally be the year he got to achieve his ambition, John contacted the Blue Cross Animal Charity to see if he could run in the marathon for them. He was put on a waiting list and found out late last year he had been lucky enough to earn a slot.

"They’re not as well known as the Dogs Trust or the PDSA, but they do a lot of good work and offer a pet bereavement service which I recommend to people we see at the practice."

John and wife Ashley run A+G Vets, in Main Street, Bonnybridge, and when he is not looking after the health of our furry friends, John can usually be found out running – especially over the last four months.

Although he was always a keen sportsman, running was not something John enjoyed until relatively recently – he once admitted he actually hated running the cross country when he was at school.

What a difference a few years can make.

John said: "I’m at the stage now which they call full on ‘maranoia’ – where you’re paranoid about every little thing as the date approaches and everything starts to hurt. You put in four months of solid training only to injure yourself tripping over kerb – that kind of thing.

"I ran Paris three years ago and that was my first ever marathon. I picked up a couple of injuries and went in with a sore knee.”

Now older, but also wiser and probably fitter than he was for that European adventure, John is ready and raring to go for Sunday’s big event.

“I’m champing at the bit. This time I have a bit more experience under my belt. It’s forecast to be warm on Sunday, but you don't want it being too warm – just a bit of sunshine.

"I’m hoping to finish in under four hours – that’s my goal.”

John will be travelling down on Friday with Ashley – who is desperate to visit the Tower of London and, of course, cheer her husband on as he progresses down the world famous race route.

Visit the website for more information on John’s big run and to donate to the cause.

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