A RUNNER from Okehampton is gearing up to tackle the London Marathon in aid of the charity which saved his life after a fall, writes Sarah Pitt.

Mark Hawkins doesn’t remember much about being airlifted to hospital after falling onto his patio while cleaning windows at home three years ago.

However his gratitude towards the Devon Air Ambulance Trust has since seen him run five marathons for the charity.

‘I ended up on my patio on my head and had to be airlifted to Derriford,’ he said. ‘I had to have to 16 stitches in the top of my head and broke three vertebrae in my upper back. They were amazing to me so since then I decided that all my marathons would be to raise money for them.’

Mark, pictured, already has marathons in Bournemouth, Madrid, Exeter and Barcelona – twice – under his belt.

His sixth – and he swears final one – will be the Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday, April 28.

It comes on the heels of his completing the Barcelona Marathon for the second time in early March. He has £2,710 pledged on his Just Giving page for both races, making the total he’s raised for the Devon Air Ambulance Trust in three years nearly £6,000.

’There is just seven weeks between the two which isn’t really enough,’ he admitted, ‘I have to squeeze in whatever I can by way of training each day.’

Mark, 55, was a champion cross-country and track runner as a schoolboy. He represented Devon and his track records at Okehampton College remain unchallenged more than 40 years later.

Marathon running through is a different ballgame altogether, he says.

‘It is easy to run 800 metres but this is totally different,’ he said. ‘With a marathon you have to train and you have to prepare. They are a massive challenge and one that I have definitely been proud of doing, more from the charity side than anything else.’

He fits his training in around his job at Taw Valley Creamery in North Tawton. ‘I run around Okehampton,’ he said. ‘I’m quite well-known in the town and I try not to stop but people do chat to me! I always wear my Devon Air Ambulance vest when I’m training.’

After six years of applying for the London Marathon, he was delighted to gain a ballot place this time around. Family and friends from Okehampton will be there to support him on the day.

‘I’m very excited,’ he said. ‘It is one of the biggest marathons in the world. The other ones I’ve done have been great – the Spanish ones have been fantastic in beautiful cities – but London has always been in the back of my mind.’

He said he was immensely grateful to his sponsors.

‘I think people recognise that I”m putting myself through a lot to do this as I don’t think I’m a natural marathon runner, and they’ve responded really generously. To have raised this amount of money is absolutely fantastic. I am very proud.’