Stroke Association

Paul's page

Paul Metham

Paul Metham

My Story

About us

The London Marathon has become an annual, inspiring and colourful fixture in the world’s sporting calendar since the inaugural race on 29 March 1981: a celebration of fun, fundraising and fancy dress.

Over the years more than a million people have completed the 26.2-mile course – which runs from Blackheath to The Mall, with a spectacular finish in front of Buckingham Palace, showcasing the very best that the capital city has to offer.

What’s more, these participants have raised over a billion pounds for charity and there have been countless amazing tales of human achievement throughout the event’s history – living up to its aim of helping participants ‘to have fun, and provide some happiness and sense of achievement in a troubled world’.

AS many of you know, in February 2021 I suffered a carotid artery dissection( basically a tear in the main artery carrying oxygenated blood to the brain. This injury was sustained whilst out running. As the injury started to heal a part of the blood clot that had formed broke away and travelled to my brain causing a serious stroke. The amazing doctors at Salford Royal Hospital managed to remove that blood clot. However, in the early hours of the next morning my brain started to swell and surgeons had to perform an emergency procedure to remove half of my skull and release the pressure on my brain. I have subsequently been told that I was a matter of minutes from passing away. My recovery from this injury has been nothing short of miraculous. I have gone from being unable to walk to going back to work full time and have even returned to running. To raise funds for a vital organisation that provides help and support for those unfortunate enough to find themselves in the same or similar position to me, I am taking part in the 2026 London Marathon. I have never previously run the marathon distance ( even prior to my injury)and , at one point it was looking like something that I was never going to achieve. Training for and taking part in the event will, for me, represent the pinnacle of my recovery and give me a great opportunity to give something back to the organisations that supported me in my time of need, so that they can continue their good work. I politely ask that you donate as generously as you can to my fundraising effort and what I consider to be a very worthy cause. 

Stroke Association

Raising for:

Stroke Association
92%

Funded

  • Target
    £4,000
  • Raised so far
    £3,665
  • Number of donors
    70

My Story

About us

The London Marathon has become an annual, inspiring and colourful fixture in the world’s sporting calendar since the inaugural race on 29 March 1981: a celebration of fun, fundraising and fancy dress.

Over the years more than a million people have completed the 26.2-mile course – which runs from Blackheath to The Mall, with a spectacular finish in front of Buckingham Palace, showcasing the very best that the capital city has to offer.

What’s more, these participants have raised over a billion pounds for charity and there have been countless amazing tales of human achievement throughout the event’s history – living up to its aim of helping participants ‘to have fun, and provide some happiness and sense of achievement in a troubled world’.

AS many of you know, in February 2021 I suffered a carotid artery dissection( basically a tear in the main artery carrying oxygenated blood to the brain. This injury was sustained whilst out running. As the injury started to heal a part of the blood clot that had formed broke away and travelled to my brain causing a serious stroke. The amazing doctors at Salford Royal Hospital managed to remove that blood clot. However, in the early hours of the next morning my brain started to swell and surgeons had to perform an emergency procedure to remove half of my skull and release the pressure on my brain. I have subsequently been told that I was a matter of minutes from passing away. My recovery from this injury has been nothing short of miraculous. I have gone from being unable to walk to going back to work full time and have even returned to running. To raise funds for a vital organisation that provides help and support for those unfortunate enough to find themselves in the same or similar position to me, I am taking part in the 2026 London Marathon. I have never previously run the marathon distance ( even prior to my injury)and , at one point it was looking like something that I was never going to achieve. Training for and taking part in the event will, for me, represent the pinnacle of my recovery and give me a great opportunity to give something back to the organisations that supported me in my time of need, so that they can continue their good work. I politely ask that you donate as generously as you can to my fundraising effort and what I consider to be a very worthy cause.