Team Pall-Ex takes on the London Marathon…again!

A team of runners from across Pall-Ex Group is taking on the London Marathon for the second year in a row to raise money for SSAFA, the UK’s oldest tri-service military charity.

With last year's London Marathon fundraising effort raising a huge £33,000 on behalf of SSAFA, the 2026 team are striving to beat that target, with all money raised going towards providing physical and emotional care for service personnel, veterans and their families.

The 2026 marathon team is made up of staff from across the Pall-Ex network, including Gary Parsons, Regional Transport and Compliance Manager, Darran Gawn, General Manager at Pall-Ex Logistics (Northampton), Ellie Harman, Quality & Compliance Manager – North and Adrian Craven, Service, Compliance and Quality Manager. Pall-Ex Group’s members will be represented by James Taylor from Team C Express Logistics, Nicola Carter from Bywater Transport and Richard Steeples from SK Distribution.

We spoke to the team to find out how their training and fundraising were going.   

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

Although I am nervous about the marathon, I want to do something that will push me to my limits and really challenge myself. I’ve started my training plan with three shorter runs in the week and one longer run at the weekend, and currently, my goal for the marathon is to try and beat five and a half hours.

So far, I’ve raised £1429, so I am 57% towards my target and hoping to hit £2500 with donations from my friends, colleagues and fundraising in my local pub.

Gary Parsons, Regional Transport and Compliance Manager -

With five months to go until the marathon, I am feeling excited and nervous in equal measures. I don’t think it has sunk in yet, but no doubt, as we get closer to race day, it’s likely that anxiety will be the overwhelming feeling! The furthest I’ve run so far is in the New Forest Half Marathon, and I’m comfortable running up to 10km, so in the new year I’ll begin training for longer distances. I am really looking forward to becoming part of the 1% club and experiencing the atmosphere on race day, as well as raising money to support the fantastic work that SSAFA do.

Ellie Harman, Quality & Compliance Manager – North –

I’ve signed up to the ballot for the last five years with no success, so when the opportunity came up to run the London Marathon for a charity that Pall-Ex work so closely with, it was a no-brainer.

I’m currently running three times a week, where possible, but it’s been hard work recently, thanks to the weather conditions! I plan to continue running three times a week and slowly increase the mileage over the next couple of months. I’ve never done a marathon before, but I’ve done a few Hyrox competitions this year, with another planned the first weekend of December, so training for that is in full swing.

So far, I’ve raised £1614, and the support from family and friends has been great. Adrian and I are organising a charity casino night at a local bar that we are hoping will raise a good amount of money too.

Adrian Craven, Service, Compliance and Quality Manager -

Running the London Marathon is something that’s been on my bucket list for years, and I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to run at such an iconic event whilst raising money for our charity partner, SSAFA.

I’m currently training three times a week, and I’ve signed up for a couple of half marathons in the new year for practice, as I have never run anything remotely close to this distance. I can’t wait for the feeling of success and elation at the finish line, knowing that I have completed 26.2 miles!

James Taylor, Operations Supervisor at Team C Express Logistics -

I’ve entered the London Marathon ballot for the last eight years, and I’ve even attempted charity places for the last three years, but I have never been lucky enough to get a place.

I am three weeks into a ‘get back to running’ training block, which will last 10 weeks, then on to a full training plan ahead of the big day! I’m very excited already, it has always been something that I’ve wanted to do. I have been a keen runner for the last 12 years, and running the London Marathon is the pinnacle, so I really want to give it a good go. I have never entered or run a marathon distance event before, so I am a little nervous about how my body will react to the pain after the 20-mile mark.

When it comes to setting myself a goal, it’s tricky as I am a really competitive person so every part of me wants to go for a quick time, but I also want to enjoy the whole experience and take in the atmosphere. If I had to give a time I was aiming for, I would say three hours and ten minutes would be achievable if I train well and avoid any major injuries or setbacks.

Nicola Carter, Office Manager at Bywater Transport -

I’ve never been lucky enough to get a ballot place in the London Marathon, so after watching the Pall-Ex team raise so much money and have a fantastic time running last year, I was really inspired to sign up for 2026. 

I’ve already done a couple of marathons – I like trail running, so the marathons I have done have always been super hilly, making the London Marathon a nice change, being relatively flat.

My training plan starts in January, and at the moment I am running three times a week, working up to 10 miles by Christmas.  I have also booked a half marathon in Rome on the 1^st March, as I like to incorporate a holiday into the training!

I am working towards a sub four and a half hour training plan, so I would love to complete the marathon in this time, but I don’t want to put pressure on that because I think running and chatting to all of the other amazing people alongside me and hearing their stories will be fantastic.

Richard Steeples, SK Distribution –

A few years ago, I took up running after watching the London Marathon, hoping to lose some weight and get fitter. Since then, I’ve entered the ballot for the last three years, but I’ve never been successful - until now! This year, I’ve finally got a place, and I’m so excited to run the London Marathon while raising money for a great cause. I am hoping to meet my fundraising target of £2500 with donations from family, friends and social media.

I regularly run 30-mile weeks, and I will be increasing this further in January and I am really looking forward to the training block. I have previously completed an ultramarathon of 47 miles, so with all being well and training going smoothly, I’m looking to finish the London Marathon in under three hours and 15 minutes.

To donate to a member of the team, please visit: https://www.pallex.co.uk/london-marathon-2026