Nick and Madeleine Poole with their sons, Jonathan and Joshua, who ran in memory of Ben and raised funds for Leonard Cheshire Disability

A ST OUEN family put on their running shoes last Sunday to run the London Marathon together in memory of their son, a Jersey Royal Marine who died while training to be part of the élite Special Boat Service.

Nick Poole, his wife Madeleine and their two sons, Joshua and Jonathan, ran in memory of the couple’s eldest son, Ben.

The family ran the race as part of Challenge4Ben, a charity set up by Ben’s parents after his death in 2008 to encourage people of all ages to take on challenges that require commitment and determination.

They also raised money for the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability.

Joshua (24) crossed the finishing line in 5 hr 16 min and Jonathan (21) finished in 4 hr 57 min. Mrs Poole finished in 5.38 and Mr Poole an hour later.

The family chose Leonard Cheshire Disability because Mrs Poole’s brother, Christopher, works for the Jersey Cheshire Service in St Helier. He has helped with general maintenance and driving at the service for more than 20 years.

Mr Poole said: ‘All my muscles are aching now, but I am so pleased we did it for Ben. He was always a determined guy who set himself demanding challenges, and we saw this as an appropriate way of honouring his memory while helping people who need support.
‘We picked the London Marathon as our challenge for him, as a family. It was a super day, but next year I will be watching, not running!’

Victoria Wray, events officer at Leonard Cheshire Disability, said: ‘We are so proud of the Poole family, who so far have managed to raise almost £4,000 together. This is a fantastic achievement and we really value their support.’

The Pooles have a fundraising target of £6,500 and their JustGiving page is still running at http://www.justgiving.com/madeleine-poole