Sunday the 18th of April sees the inaugural Brighton Marathon. Three of Cogapp's permanent employees will be in their running shoes for the 9:00 am start and hoping to complete the 26.2 miles in time for lunch. Our runners give their reasons below and you may spot a few sponsorship links so please do sign up to donate.

Greg Hadfield

A banana just beat me on the finishing straight of my first marathon last year.

Despite five years of routinely running half-marathons - Sussex Beacon, Eastbourne and Hastings - the 2009 London Marathon was a punishing experience. Literally, unforgettable. And around the 18-mile mark, I began to wonder if it might be unsurvivable, too.

After "hitting the wall" at Canary Wharf, I'm convinced I made it round only thanks to the two jellybabies given to me by a mother and her children.

In the inaugural Brighton Marathon, I am hoping to raise money for playground improvements for local children aged eight to 13, by seeking sponsorship in aid of a community organisation known as HAPPI (Hollingbury Active Parents for Playground Improvement).

Despite my best intentions, my training for the first Brighton Marathon has been, at best, sporadic. More worryingly, I am nearly two stone above my usual running weight. Nevertheless, with three decent half-marathon times in the last month, I have hopes of beating my London Marathon time, with a target of four hours 30 minutes.

But survival is my main goal. So if you see a tired 53-year-old hobbling down the last 500 metres on April 18, please give me a cheer, or even a jellybaby.

You'll easily recognise me...I'll be just in front of the banana!

Pete Gale

I am taking part to improve my fitness generally. Although this will be my first marathon, I have taken part in other endurance events such as the Paris–Brest–Paris bike ride.

I have been preparing with 20km runs each weekend, smaller in the week if I can and ran the Hastings half marathon earlier in the year.

My greatest weaknesses are ankles, knees and legs generally!
 

Steve Norris

I used to run a lot when I was younger and always assumed that I'd do a marathon one day, having one on my doorstep has provided the impetus to finally commit to it. My training is best described as sporadic but I have been slowly building up towards the 20 mile mark, the highlight so far being 13 miles around Central Park NY in the snow.

I am reasonably confident of finishing so long as my knees and ankles hold out, and so I have set as my goals not to walk a single step and not to be overtaken by anyone dressed as a rhino.

I will be raising money for the Most Mira Project, an organisation that runs a youth arts festival in Bosnia that aims to encourage reconciliation and creative development in this post-conflict area. I have chosen to give my support as it is a genuinely positive event and one where a relatively small donation has the potential to make a real difference. There is no individual sponsorship form so if you would like to sponsor me please click the big Donate button on the Most Mira site instead.

Andy Taylor was meant to be our fourth runner, and had worked up to completing 15 mile runs each weekend. Unfortunately, a doctor's visit mere weeks before the big day left him diagnosed with damaged ligaments in his right knee, forcing his withdrawal. He had signed up to raise money for the Patrick Evans Foundation, a charity set up in the name of a close friend of Andy's who tragically died whilst skiing last year. He'll still be cheering on Steve, Greg and Pete from the sidelines.