London Classics 2024
My goal for 2024 has been to complete the London Classics – the London Marathon, the RideLondon 100, and the Swim Serpentine – to support Samaritans.
I finished the set on 14 September, and thanks to many generous donations have raised more than £5000 to help people in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide.
If you haven’t donated already, please support Samaritans. Money donated via JustGiving goes directly to the charity. Platform fees are optional, and can be set to zero.
London Marathon
Sunday 21 April 2024
In April, I ran the London Marathon (26.2 miles) in 4:19:35.
I’d not run a full marathon before, and training for this was by far the toughest physical challenge of my life so far, even having swum the English Channel solo in 2017.
RideLondon 100
Sunday 26 May 2024
In May, I cycled the RideLondon via Essex (100 miles) in 6:01:30.
With all the marathon training, I wasn’t able to prepare with as much time in the saddle as I would have liked, but it turned out to be a lovely day.
Swim Serpentine
Saturday 14 September 2024
In September, I swam the Swim Serpentine in Hyde Park, London (2 miles) in 1:15:21.
Having put swimming on hold for a while, it was great to be back in my element, and aside from a smattering of the duck flea bites, it was a thoroughly enjoyable final event.
More info
About Samaritans
Samaritans is a charity that provides support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide. It often provides this support through its telephone helpline, and responds to a call for help in the UK every 10 seconds.
Oxford Samaritans is run entirely by a team of volunteers, around 170 people. It’s open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and responds to around 2,500 calls a month. It receives no regular income, depending on donations to support its work.
You can find out more about Samaritans at samaritans.org.
About Dom
I have supported mental health charities for several years, raising £1,200 for the Samaritans when I swam to the Isle of Wight in 2011, and raising £10,000 for Mind and Rethink when I swam the English Channel solo in 2017.
I have also swum the lengths of Coniston (5.2 miles), Ullswater (7 miles), and Windermere (10.5 miles), swum across the Gulf of Corryvreckan (the third largest whirlpool in the world), and completed several marathon swim events including the Jubilee River in 2019, 2020, and 2021, and the Thames Marathon in 2023.
You can find out more about me at domtinley.net.
