Five runners from Reading are taking part in the Düsseldorf Uniper Marathon on Sunday 27 April 2025, following an invitation from Düsseldorf’s Sport Office.
Andy Towse, 44, is a local teacher who, having seen the twinning signs around Reading, decided to seize the chance of running a half marathon in one of Reading’s twin towns.
Tom Hawkins, 32, is a freelance creative born and bred in Reading, who only ran his first half marathon in October 2024. His motivation to take part, he said, was that “this would be an exciting opportunity to represent Reading in Düsseldorf. I’m looking forward to the buzz of the event, running through a vibrant city and forging friendships just like Reading and Düsseldorf have over the many years. If I manage to get a decent time that will be a plus too!”
Three of the runners are currently studying at the University of Reading.
21-year-old Olga Toušová learnt of the opportunity from her art tutor, Emily Gillmor, who is a member of the RDA. She feels that just being involved in the event has improved her connection with Reading outside of university life, and that the mental and physical preparation has alread brought rewards. Running was previously an intermittent hobby, but Olga has shifted her mindset to focus on a new goal of running 21km while she is 21 years old (a half marathon is 21.1km!).
Charlotte Bridger, 19, is an art and psychology student and has a personal reason for embarking on the run. She will be running to raise money for Parkinson’s UK; her grandad has lived with the condition for over ten years. Charlotte hopes to beat the time she achieved last year in the Cambridge Half Marathon, which she ran in aid of Cancer Research in honour of her other grandfather, who had leukaemia.
David Barnett, 19, is studying international business and French and has a family connection to Düsseldorf. He said, “I’m particularly excited about this race because my aunt lived and worked in Düsseldorf for two years and always spoke so fondly of her experiences there. Hearing her stories sparked my interest in the city and its culture.”
We wish all of them a wonderful time Düsseldorf and a successful run!