Dean Starr will be running the Barcelona Marathon for Valley House!

The Barcelona marathon will take place on the 15th March, starting at Avinjuda de la Reina Maria Christina at 8:30 am, runners will complete a 25 mile route past some of the city’s famous monuments and tourist attractions. you can view a map of the route here.

We caught up with Dean, who has been busy training, to find out how preparations are going for the event.

Can you tell us about yourself Dean?

I run a project in Warwickshire and the West Midlands which provides housing for vulnerable families. We buy, refurbish and manage homes for those most in need. I live in Sutton Coldfield, married with one 2 year old son. Grew up in Cornwall and a passion for the outdoors has me spending free time travelling, climbing and mountaineering all over the world.

Have you completed this type of event before?

No, but I have done plenty endurance trekking, just not a strong natural runner so having to adjust physically and mentally to running for a long period of time!

How is the training going?

Okay, I’m getting 3/4 runs a week in, have been training consistently for the last 12 weeks slowly increasing the long runs on Sundays to the 30 kilometre mark. A few niggly injuries but focusing on recovery in between and some core strength exercises to get my shape right.

How do you feel prior to the event?

Excited, I’ve got my wife and some old school friends joining me so it’ll be nice to achieve it together!

What are your goals for the event? Do you have a target time in mind?

This is my first marathon and with a body built for impact sports over endurance…I’d be happy with sub 5 hours.

Why did you choose to support Valley House?

We’ve known of the fantastic work that Valley House do for the past few years now, as a well renowned organisation helping to support those in need across the city. I’ve a few personal connections that have had experiences with domestic violence, and I think in today’s world its more important than ever that as a society we show compassion and support, as helping those in need is a collective responsibility of all in the community who want to see people given the best chances in life. I think Valley house are an excellent example of this.

The weather in March should be a good temperature, not too hot for the 26 mile run. This is an incredible achievement and takes dedicated preparation. Dean is raising funds for us, and you can sponsor him here:  https://www.facebook.com/donate/623700638388753/, he has a fundraising target of £500, let’s help him reach it!