THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING...
Captain, Liam Byrne talks all things London Marathon 2024 and how you can join #TeamTavs in supporting our inclusive cricket programmes.
At some point, whilst celebrating my mother’s 60th birthday in 2019, when, as tradition in our family (I have an older sister and a younger brother), those present get a turn to share a few words of love or gratitude in the direction of the birthday girl, my mother then returned the gesture. She was commenting with pride on how her offspring were united with strong bonds, despite great differences in our personalities AND that if there were six of us and not three, how much further variety there would be amongst us? Would we still have such a bond?
Well, on Sunday 21 April, the number of runners representing the Tavs at the 2024 London Marathon grew to 67 from just 27 the previous April - you can view images of our runners here!
WhatsApps, emails, calls and Strava “kudos” were traded through the dark, cold and remote winter training period to bring this diverse bunch together and make a team of us. Tips and advice from experienced fundraisers, runners and professionals. We had confidence and momentum. The result is that the team have reached an astonishing collective fundraising total that currently stands at £150,000 and that is an historic record for the Tavs in this event. Personally, I was incredibly grateful to be part of it and proud of what those pound notes can really achieve in the hands of the right people.
I hope that I can share with you on behalf of the team that this is what binds us. It makes our own families share such pride, as they play such a crucial supporting role for the fundraisers in preparation and certainly on the day itself, it was there for all to see after the run, when we celebrated together. Particularly, now we can reflect on the ultimate beneficiaries of this success, it’s warming to think of the grandparents, fathers, mothers, siblings and others that surround those young people living with a disability and from disadvantaged communities engaged in the charity’s programmes who might not have had the same opportunity to explore cricket, and all the benefits being part of a community brings, without the Lord’s Taverners.
I have captained our Marathon squad through six training periods and six renditions of the race, with those more recently being COVID-affected in one way, shape or form. The headline news from 2024 is that the London Marathon really is now back and it’s bigger, better… it’s bouncing! A record number of runners on the road and world-record fundraising for a single day event. The streets were rammed with spectators nearly every step of the route and the atmosphere was electric before, during and after.
In this team, after the run, we were carried broken and battered from the streets into Tavs HQ like victorious emperors returning to Rome from the edge of empire. Excellent facilities to clean-up and re-energise, delicious scran, the Tavs house team volunteering their Sunday to look after us and as someone rattled a cow-bell to put the spotlight on each fundraiser crossing the threshold, they entered the party to rapturous applause and a personal reception from our President, David Gower.
At my desk on the Monday morning, yes, I was sore and mildly hungover to boot. However, it wasn’t long before I was putting my name in the ballot for April 2025 to represent the Tavs once again!
The repeater is not for everyone, which is understandable, so we have to bring together what will mostly be a new team for next year and recruitment has already started. The legacy plan for the 2024 aftermath, having a much larger team plus a waiting list is up and running. I hope that my match report here has you thinking, “I fancy some of that” or “I know the perfect person to put forward”. Please do get on and do it, don’t dwell on it and just remember, it’s not just about running, as anyone can do that… you get plenty of time to train and plenty of time to finish your run on the day. This is a fundraising team and we need you to pull your weight and more in filling the coffers to make this event a roaring success for our charity again.
There are many other events around the country that provide fundraising opportunities too, of course. Whatever you are taking on, having some direct inspiration is really effective. I’m a Luton boy at heart and so the Wicketz project based there has become a staple for me to regularly engage with, the work being done in the name of the Tavs is fantastic and witnessing the results those children get, largely thanks to Khayam Nawaz or 'Coach K' who is one of the lead coach there, has been one of the highlights of the last 12 months for me. Top notch cricket coaching and tooling young people with the life skills needed to thrive within their community, being delivered to girls and boys of a wide-range of abilities, ages and aspirations will get me back on the road, rattling the bucket and carrying a smile alongside a great message all the way!
Your captain,
Liam Byrne
THANK YOU!
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