Mark Robson took along a donation of £2,625 raised by doing the Great North Run and the York Marathon. The cash will cover the branch’s expenses for some considerable time. Liz McAllister, from Darlington and District Samaritans, said: “Together with the contributions of others who ran the Great North Run, a total of £4,300 was raised through the blood, sweat, toil and (yes) tears of that heroic group – Mark himself, Stephen McAllister, Leah Gordon, Michael Knight and Chris Best.
“Mark admits that at the end of the York run he did shed a tear or two of sheer relief – and because there was no sign of the pasty that a supporter had promised him.”
Mr Robson spoke of his reasons for choosing Samaritans.
He said: “Samaritans, as a charity, tends to be forgotten. All charities do wonderful work but I wanted to raise the Samaritan profile.”
He trained for his runs by swimming, dog walking, delivering his letters and by jogging with his running partner Linda Scandred, whose “now or never” philosophy spurred him on.
He said it took over his life a little but that it was worth it. “Samaritans save lives and they need our support,” he explained.
Gloria Wilson, director designate of Darlington and District Samaritans, said: “He doesn’t see himself as a hero – the real heroes are those who give in sponsorship.
“Indeed the business people and ordinary folk of Barnard Castle, the salt of the earth, have been so generous that he wants to pay tribute to them and to Teesdale Athletic Club who were so supportive.
“It’s wonderful to meet Mark and be able to thank him personally for all the hard work and dedicated training he has put in to do the Great North Run and the York Marathon to raise money for us.
“Thank you sincerely to all of our runners this year for such a magnificent effort.”
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