Running is an increasingly popular sport, but running the Flora London Marathon is not that common an achievement. Here Diana Lazenby, REEP webmaster, interviews Michael Hodgson who will be straining every muscle on behalf of REEP on 14th April. Come and support him!

DL: Michael, how do you come to be running the Marathon?

MH: It was the result of a promise to my father-in-law, Peter Talbot Willcox, who founded REEP. Eighteen months before his untimely death from a heart attack, I promised him I would run for REEP in the London Marathon - in my 50th year!

DL: Why did you make such a challenging promise?

MH: I wanted to support Peter's vision for REEP, which combines idealism with practicality. The idealism is that we should live in harmony with our environment, God's creation, and not exploit it destructively. The practicality is that, in democratic societies, the only way to persuade leaders and politicians to pursue policies to protect the environment is by influencing voters and public opinion.

DL: So, in your view, how does REEP support that vision?

MH: REEP provides free and easily accessible resources for pupils and their teachers, for primary and secondary schools. That's an effective way of giving children an early grounding in the vital questions of how we manage our environment to provide for our essential needs, without destroying irreplaceable and vital elements in our world. This message of sustainable living based on the foundation of moderation is universal to all the world faiths, so REEP puts a "green" message in a religious context - and in a very accessible way.

DL: What chance do you think REEP and other environmental organisations have of getting the message across?

MH: Anyone who's cynical about the green message's impact on governments and multinationals should compare the attention given to environmental issues now with 30 years ago. If some of that attention is only "lip service", then the best way to bring pressure to bear and have greater impact is to educate the voters of the future to the dangers of exploitation. REEP's own contribution is based on a website, a medium that's popular with children and young people, so the message can be spread a long way at less cost and with less negative environmental impact that some traditional means of communication.

DL: You're obviously prepared to work hard for what you believe it. Has it been difficult preparing for the marathon?

MH: Well, in the first place there were the usual difficulties that small charities face in getting recognition from the organisers but now, thanks to help from Peter's son Paul, I'm "in" for 2002. So the main challenge is to keep pounding the tarmac, which in my case means the pretty country lanes beneath the South Downs at weekends and London's streets during the week! But by the beginning of February I was managing 13 miles. I aim to get up to over 20 miles by early March and, on the advice of the experts, that is as far as I will go before the race, just trying to improve basic fitness in the few weeks leading up to April 14th.

DL: Do you enjoy it? And would you recommend it as a "sustainable" hobby?

MH: Running non-stop for 2 hours plus is a new experience for me. In some ways it is a form of meditation, but it can turn into masochism! I am going to reserve my position on whether it is a sustainable hobby until after the race!

Thank you, Michael, and GOOD LUCK on April 14th.

If you would like to sponsor Michael, please click here

© REEP, Lazenby Education