A devoted Bournemouth family has once again laced up their running shoes in memory of a beloved son, husband and friend they lost to brain injury, marking their third consecutive year of taking on the London Marathon in his honour.
What began as a tribute to Richard Holzherr has now grown into a heartfelt family tradition, each year raising funds for Headway- the brain injury association, a charity which provides support, services and information to those affected by brain injury.
Richard, from Bournemouth, died suddenly in May 2020 from a brain aneurysm following going out for a run. He passed away aged 32.
Richard worked as a plumber, loved football and his family, and was said to bring “laughter to everyone in his life.”
His loved ones have run the London Marathon in his honour over the last three years, collectively raising over £10,165 for Headway.
Richard’s dad Tom and sister-in-law Mags ran the marathon in 2023, and last year saw wife Kelly put her best foot forward in her late husband’s honour.
This year, Richard’s best friends Nathan and Charlotte Alderton took on the 26.2 mile race in memory of their football-daft friend, raising over £4000 for Headway.
Charlotte, a Telecoms Quality Control Manager, described Sunday as “an emotional rollercoaster” as she crossed the finish line in five hours 40 minutes, with self-employed plasterer husband Nathan, 36, finishing in four hours 43 minutes.
She said: “I found the marathon the hardest yet most rewarding experience of my life.
“In a way it felt like therapy. Reading everyone’s t-shirts and watching everyone running for their own reasons was really emotional.
“Nathan and I started in different waves, due to our predicted times, but my favourite moment was that we were able to catch up with each other and hold hands running over Tower Bridge. It was a moment I’ll never forget.”
Charlotte said she struggled around the 16-18 mile mark and was ‘sobbing behind her glasses’, but hearing Michael Bolton’s song I Can Go The Distance helped her “dig deep and pushed me on.”
Charlotte added: “I felt elated to get to the finish and meet up with Nathan at the letter ‘R’- for Richard- meeting point.
“Our friends bought us a glass of rose, a beer and some sliders, and we relaxed in the sunshine before heading home with a Burger King!”
Richard’s loved ones are keen to raise awareness of brain injury after Richard died suddenly of a brain aneurysm that “no one was aware he had”, often as an unruptured aneurysm rarely causes symptoms.
If symptoms are experienced, this may include headaches, balance problems, pain above or around the eye, visual disturbances, difficulty speaking and numbness or weakness in the face.
Charlotte said: “Doctors attempted an operation to save his life but unfortunately it wasn’t possible due to the severity of the aneurysm.
“So, any money we can raise for Headway to help another family- where their family member has more of a chance- is hugely important to us all.
“It has been an extremely difficult time dealing with such a catastrophic loss in all our lives.
“Rich was honestly one of a kind. He always brought laughter to everyone in his life. He was hilarious, caring and kind and we miss him every day.
“We were honoured to run the London Marathon in his name.”
Holly Howey, Events Manager at Headway, said: “We are so unbelievably proud of Charlotte and Nathan- and all of our runners- who ran in aid of Headway.
“We can’t thank all our runners enough for their efforts. Every penny they have raised goes towards helping survivors and their loved ones navigate life after brain injury.”
To support Charlotte and Nathan’s fundraiser for Headway, you can visit their Just Giving page. You can find more information about brain aneurysm here.
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