EDP and Norwich Evening News editor David Powles on why he's running the 2020 London Marathon to raise funds for the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Appeal.

Running a marathon is not something I could easily imagine myself doing for fun.

Half marathons, 10kms, 5kms - yes all of those distances I enjoy, but in order to go that one step further there needs to be a bigger carrot at the end of the line.

That's why I have decided to try to raise £2,000 for the Priscilla Bacon appeal by taking part in the 2020 event.

But why run it at all?

To use the sort of cliché an actual professional sportsperson might trot out 'I have a bit of unfinished business as far as the London Marathon is concerned'.

I ran it for the first time back in 2014 but, like so many others before me, endured a bit of a tough time.

In the lead up to the big day all had been going well. My target had been met and a 24-mile run a few weeks earlier suggested I could be on track for a time of around 3 hours 30 minutes. I'd take that, I thought.

But then in the two weeks beforehand everything seemed to unravel. I moved house, which made me exhausted both physically and mentally, got a cold and struggled with the pre-race tapering.

Then on the day before I made the big mistake of going to visit friends in London, walking most of the day and feeling tired when I woke up - and that was before the small matter of a 26.2 mile run on what was a very warm day.

Up to mile 19 all was going well, and then cramp took hold. First in my right hamstring, then my left and then bizarrely in both arms!

I struggled on, but the last seven miles seemed like a lifetime and by the time I crossed the finish line a mixture of exhaustion and disappointment led to floods of tears on what was a surprisingly emotionally charged day. At the time I vowed never to do it again. But as any runner knows, once the pain and disappointment has gone - there's always the next race to sort.

And when the Priscilla Bacon appeal was launched and we decided to formally get behind it - now seemed like the ideal time.

This is an appeal I wholeheartedly believe needs to succeed. Extra hospice care in Norfolk is massively needed. The current services are struggling to cope - even though those that work within them do a sterling job.

Once opened this will be a world leading facility in the heart of Norfolk. I do hope you can support it.

Read more about the appeal here.

To sponsor me log onto uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DavidPowles1