Eighty three people took part in the Blackwater Forget Me Not Marathon Walk and each one completed the route and received their medal from the Leukaemia Research team. Special mention must be made of Eric Hall, who was the oldest walker at 76 and to Molly Summers, who at 14 years of age was the youngest. Eric completed the marathon in under 8 hours and was amongst the first ten walkers to finish.

It was a glorious morning, cool and calm and 2 hot air balloons were rising in the distance on a brilliantly sunny day as the walkers set off from Great Braxted playing fields. Skirting Great Totham and Little Totham, they followed a mixture of footpaths and country lanes towards the river. It was getting warm as the group, by now well spread out, reached the end of Prentice Hall Lane and a refreshment stop before joining the sea wall.

Conditions on the sea wall were unusually calm with very little breeze, the tide at slack water. Leaving the sea wall, the route crossed the low style into the churchyard at Goldhanger and a well earned half way stop. Here the marathoners were joined by more than 50 fresh walkers raring to go but it was the faster marathon walkers who stayed at the front as the walk continued to Heybridge Basin with a light breeze picking up as the tide came in. Many walkers took the opportunity to sit on the grass in the lovely sunshine and watch the boats on the river as the early races started in the Maldon Regatta.

However, more footpaths awaited along the canal bank past Tesco and through Langford to join the Blackwater Rail Trail and up through the apple orchards into Wickham Bishops and back to Great Braxted.

With help from many people, the walk was enjoyed by everyone and many expressed interest in coming back again next year – so it may become an annual event!

All money raised from the walk will go to sponsor research targeted at young people with blood cancers and Sandra Reeve and Alison Still, the race organisers are hoping to raise over £5,000. Leukaemia and other blood cancers are the most common cause of non-accidental death in 16-30 year olds in the UK. You can still make a donation at www.justgiving.com/blackwaterforgetmenotwalk or by post to; The Tim Reeve Charitable Trust, PO Box 9495, Wickham Bishops, CM8 3 WT

  See more photos here    

Photos of all walkers at the finish will be available shortly. Contact John Reeve at john.reeve@supanet.com for a copy