Heff Heathcote, a friend of the much missed organiser Brian Cossavella, who died 2 years ago, ran the London Marathon to raise money for the Guide Dog's charity, which Brian was a big supporter of. Here's what he said about the challenge and why he did it

"On 26 April 2009, I put my body on the line by taking part in the 2009 Flora London Marathon. The driving force behind this epic endeavour was to raise sufficient funds, for Guide Dogs for the Blind, in order to train and name a Guide Dog puppy in memory of my dear friend, Brian Cossavella who died suddenly in March of 2008. In his youth Brian had achieved national status in the cycling world and went on to become one of Britain's most highly respected race organisers, in particular for his efforts in staging the World Cycling Masters in Manchester. He also worked tirelessly on behalf of Guide Dogs for the Blind in promoting charity events. Above all, he is remembered by everyone he touched as one of the most likeable, cheerful, helpful and enthusiastic guys one could have the good fortune to meet. My aim was to raise £5000 in order to ensure that a Guide Dog can be trained and named in Brian's memory. Through other activities, I managed to raise £3,000, however the final £2,000 will required me to go through the pain barrier and reach the target for this worthwhile cause.
In January of 2010, Heff comented "It is with great pride that I raised enough money to secure this lovely Guide Dog in memory of Brian, which has been aptly named 'Cossa'