With Christmas over for another year and New Year celebrations a distance memory the start of January sees a constant crying out for people to detox. It's mostly the women who feel the need to loose that weight they've formed over the festive months, but blokes are often pressured to give their fat partners support. Until. Of course February comes around and the girls expect a huge free meal on Valentines Day! If you really do fancy shredding pounds and keeping fit why not do it properly and start training for the ultimate challenge of the year. The London Marathon 2007!

If you can bear the humiliation of having a rhino, Superman and other silly costumed men overtaking you as you wheel/ run through the Capital then this event could be right of your street and with the added bonus of having a disability you're bound to receive an extra generous symphony round of applause as you pass the finish line or are carted off in a St. John's Ambulance.

The Disabilities Trust (disabilities-trust.org.uk) is one of the organisations backing disabled runners this year, in 2006 they supported nine runners who raised £21,000 between them for charity and this year they are looking for more enthusiastic runners. So, if you are stronger then Radcliffe and won't dramatically fail halfway through or wet your pants then why don't you give it a go?

The trust will give you advice tips on training and how to raise the £15,000 which is required to enter the race and will also cheer you on during the race. So every time you hear moral support during the marathon you'll be unaware if it's from your loved ones or fake cheering from the trust as they are contracted to do it! You will also receive a participant pack with handy advice in, such as - get fit and a running vest which gives the trust free advertising at your expense! You'll also be invited to a pre-race pasta party so you can meet fellow cripple runners and stuff yourself with food, making the big day a considerably bit harder!

You still stupid enough to participate or still making up your minds? Well here's some comments from a couple of runners backed by The Disabilities Trust last year..

Andy,
"It's always a great honour to be part of anything that helps The Disabilities Trust and the people that are so widely support and cared for by their fantastic work. Having that in mind throughout an event like London pushed me beyond what I thought I could ever achieve."

Kath,
"It felt like one million people had turned out just to cheer me on, and they were all willing me over the finishing line. I visited a brain injury unit in Devon run by The Disabilities Trust and I can honestly say that every penny of the money I raised will be well spent and wholeheartedly appreciated.”

Of course The Disability Trust isn't the only charity to reep benefit from the race. Once registered you can choose a charity to support on the official Flora marathon website (london-marathon.co.uk) and if anyone from the marathon can advise us how we can register our organistaion ready for 2008 then can you please let us know as we could do with a few quid!

Oh, in case you are wondering the average time for a wheelchair competitor is 3 hours. So, put your best wheel forward and sign up now.

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