Richard Merry

Ultra Runner and Triathlete

Profile:
Richard ran his first Marathon in 2001 (London) and when registering for the race he saw an advert for the Marathon Des Sables, however circumstances dictated it would be another 5 years until he applied. 2007 he applied for the 2009 MDS and got in. The 24th Marathon des Sables lived up to its name as the "Toughest Footrace on Earth", as weather and uncertainty added to the distance. Richard finished in 485th place (840 starters), sadly though a running buddy of his Alex Flynn had to pull out midway due to serious illness, and announce in July that he had been diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease. He wanted to raise £1 Million for Cure Parkinson Trust, so Richard proposed he would race 1 million metres in a year to promote the Charity and support Alex in his races, a task which was duly completed in September 2010. Richard’s running has now extended into Duathlons and Triathlons, with the aim of continuing to run, swim & cycle 50 marathons by his 50th Birthday!

Testimonial:
"Buffs now form part of my kit on every run I do. Their versatility and ease of use is superb and with an excellent range of choice I can find one for whatever event I am doing - combined with their range of cycling and running tops, its nice to stand out and be noticed even half-way down the field. The excellent Polar Buffs, have kept me warm during the recent winter snows and -11c runs to work, using the fleecy element as either a neck warmer, or beanie hat, and the material to keep my face warm against the elements - these items alone have made training in very harsh conditions bearable to the point of being fun, and if I could buy the whole Polar buff range I would!"

Website: http://richardmerry.blogspot.com/