Team Pall-Ex raises over £27,500 running the TCS London Marathon

For the second year in a row, a team of runners from across Pall-Ex Group have successfully completed the TCS London Marathon, raising money in support of SSAFA.

After a tough training block, running in the cold, dark and rainy weather, the team managed to complete all 26.2 miles of the iconic London Marathon course.

Darran Gawn, Gary Parsons, Ellie Harman, Adrian Craven, James Taylor, Nicola Carter and Richard Steeples all successfully took on the London Marathon on Sunday 26^th April, together raising over £27,500 on behalf of SSAFA.  

As the UK’s oldest national tri-military charity, SSAFA has been supporting both regulars and reserves in the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army, the Royal Air Force and their families for over 140 years. This is the second year that a team from Pall-Ex has run the London Marathon on behalf of SSAFA.

The money raised for SSAFA will go towards providing mental health, financial and physical support to veterans who are struggling with readjusting to civilian life. For thousands of veterans and their families around the world, SSAFA has acted as a lifeline to help them navigate life in and beyond the military.  

Find out how the runners got on below:

Darran Gawn, General Manager at Pall-Ex Logistics (Northampton) –

Running the London Marathon is one of the best things I have ever done, despite the fact my left foot was in a lot of pain for two days after the marathon. The crowds were brilliant throughout the whole race and my favourite part was making it to the half way point.

I will definitely be entering the ballot for the opportunity to run the marathon again, although I need to fix my foot first!

Gary Parsons, Regional Transport and Compliance Manager –

I’m feeling incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of the 2026 London Marathon, and I’m very proud to have completed it. My legs are feeling much better than I expected post-marathon, and I even managed a 10k recovery run on Monday.

The accomplishment of finishing, the atmosphere throughout the day, the crowds and the noise just totally blew me away. Tower Bridge was a particular highlight as the crowd were just incredible.

I have realised however that long distance is not for me (although I said that last time), I get bored… I’m happy to do a half but feel like I need a new challenge. Mount Kilamanjaro anyone?

Ellie Harman, Quality & Compliance Manager – North –

I am so proud of myself and my colleagues for completing the marathon! I still haven’t really comprehended that I’ve completed it and it’s all over and done with. However, I’m still feeling very sore and stiff. My feet are covered in blisters which is very uncomfortable.

My favourite mile was mile 6 at Cutty Sark, the atmosphere was amazing and I saw my family there. I was feeling really good at this point of the race and had got into a good rhythm and was running at a steady pace. The highlight of my day was Tower Bridge, I’d started to struggle slightly before here due to rolling my ankle on a water bottle. Just before Tower Bridge, I saw Michelle, Alice and Sophie at the SSAFA view point which gave me the push I needed. When I ran across Tower Bridge the views and atmosphere were like nothing I had seen before. It was the real push I needed to keep going!

I’m going to have a good rest before I think about running again - walking still feels like a hard task. At the moment, there’s no way I’d do another marathon, but never say never.

Adrian Craven, Service, Compliance and Quality Manager –

I’m still feeling incredibly tired post-marathon, but equally as proud for getting it done, it’s safe to say my legs have taken a beating!

The whole marathon experience was amazing, running across Tower Bridge and seeing the sea of people cheering everyone on was incredible. My favourite mile was 13 where I saw my family and got a huge boost that I needed. I will definitely be continuing with running now after my training block and the whole marathon experience. 

James Taylor, Operations Supervisor at Team C Express Logistics –

I am incredibly proud to have finished my first marathon, despite being a little disappointed with how the run went. Overall, I’m a combination of drained and relieved, but mostly happy. The main thing is that as a group, we have raised an incredible amount of money for SSAFA.

The highlight of my marathon day was most definitely seeing my family and friends at the end. The crowd in general were amazing, they did not stop shouting through the whole course. My favourite mile was 100% the last one. I was in a bit of trouble from mile 15 so to get to that last mile was a huge relief.

I’ll do some sort of shakeout run this week and then I’m helping a friend with his training. I’ve got no other events planned but when I do, it will not be a marathon….

But if you ask me again next week, I might have changed my mind!

Nicola Carter, Office Manager at Bywater Transport –

What an absolute honour to run for SSAFA and be a part of the London Marathon experience. We not only managed to raise an amazing amount of money for SSAFA but we are now also part of a world record!

My legs are still in bits, despite training to do the distance, the heat and adrenaline got to me slightly and I cramped up 5 miles before the finish line. My favourite mile of the marathon was mile 23 at the SSAFA cheer point. My mum and sister had managed to navigate themselves there and getting to see their faces cheering me on gave me the boost I needed to finish. Another highlight was running past Joe Wicks and Daddy Pig and giving them a shout of encouragement.

My next run is planned for Thursday as I’m straight back into training for the Big Half in London in September. London was an incredible experience which I believe everyone should try and do. It’s in the memory bank as one of the best experiences I have ever had and I’ll be there cheering people on next year!

Richard Steeples, SK Distribution –

I’m feeling incredibly inspired after completing the London Marathon, it was an amazing experience.

My favourite mile of the race would have to be the final mile running down the mall, and the highlight was definitely receiving my medal. My legs have just about recovered, they were feeling heavy for a couple of days post-race but I managed to do a 5k this week.

I’ve already entered the ballot for next year but I’m trying to decide what distance to focus on next, potentially planning for a half marathon aiming with a quicker time.