Former Hemel Hempstead Gazette reporter completes London Marathon to support mum's sight loss

Victoria Cusack, who now lives and works in Bedfordshire, raised more than £7,000 for the Royal National Institute of Blind People alongside her friend Paige Lydon. They completed the iconic race in under five hours.

Victoria, who currently works for Bedfordshire Police but spent two years on the Hemel Hempstead newsdesk in the mid-2010s, described it as an ‘amazing day.’ “The RNIB is very close to my heart as it has supported my mum with her deteriorating sight,” Victoria said.

“We set ourselves the target of raising £5,000 between us, and have managed £7,185, which is much more than we expected. Both of our husbands have run in the past and we have friends that have run, so we have been to spectate.

“You get a sense of it, but being in it is something else. There is so much going on, it is a great atmosphere, and there is lots of live music. The crowds are unbelievable, and the amount of people on the streets is phenomenal.”

Victoria and Paige targeted running under five hours, with Victoria managing 4:54 and Paige 4:18. Both enjoyed lots of support from family and friends on the route, while the company Paige works for KJW Drylining, provided the pair with sponsorship and donated a prize towards a raffle they held as part of the fundraising.

Speaking the day after the marathon, Victoria added: “My legs feel a bit achy, and my knees are a bit creaky. The event and all the training puts a lot of pressure on your body.

“I can see why people want to do it again because of the euphoric feeling you get when you complete the race, but I am focusing on pursuing other goals now!”

The pair’s fundraising page can be found online here. On the page, Victoria’s mum, Lucille, said in tribute to the Royal National Institute of Blind People: “The care I received was at times overwhelming when first dealing with my sight loss, they showed so much empathy.”