Learning Support Assistant Dan Jones is gearing up to take on the Shrewsbury Half Marathon on 28 September – a major milestone in his training for the 2026 TCS London Marathon.
Dan, from Baschurch, works with students on the Horticulture pathway at our Gobowen campus. He is running the London Marathon to raise funds for Derwen College Charity, which provides enriching experiences, resources and extra activities for students at the specialist Shropshire college.
A dedicated Dad of two, Dan admits that training over the summer holidays has been tough. But with the support of family and friends – including lunchtime runs with his work colleagues – he’s already raised over £450 towards his £2,000 goal.
He says: “Juggling training with kids and holidays has been a challenge, but being a parent is my number one job, so it has been worth it. Now my girls are back at school, and I return to my work routine, I’m focused and ready to train regularly with the Shrewsbury Half coming up. I’ve run up to 12 miles so far, so I am looking forward to my first half marathon distance. Then I’ll push on up to longer runs at the back end of the year before settling on a training schedule for the full marathon in April.”
Dan secured a charity place in the 2026 London Marathon through a Derwen College ballot. He is running alongside fellow winner Connor Barker, whose sister Amy is a Performing Arts student at the College. The London Marathon takes place on Sunday 26 April 2026.
To reach his fundraising goal, Dan is also organising raffles, events and sweepstakes. He is calling on local businesses and the wider community to get behind him with sponsorship or prize donations.
Role model to our students
“My motivation is to improve my own health and wellbeing, set goals, push myself, raise awareness and be a role model to our students,” he says. “I’ve seen first-hand how Derwen College supports young people to reach their aspirations. This has really motivated me to raise money to support this amazing charity.”
Derwen College Events Coordinator Meg Charman adds:
“This is the first time Derwen College Charity has offered charity places for the London Marathon, and we’re proud to have two inspirational runners representing us. We’re grateful for their dedication in training and fundraising and hope the local community will get behind them too.”
You can follow Dan’s progress on Strava and sponsor him at his London Marathon fundraising page.
To donate raffle prizes or offer support as a business then please email him.
