Running a marathon had been on Kris de Jonge’s (25) wish list for a while. When he heard about the KPMG Lentemarathon Amstelveen, he decided to take on the challenge. He is now training hard and has set up a fundraiser for KWF Kankerbestrijding.
“I’ve never run a marathon before,” Kris explains. “About six months ago, I wanted to run a half marathon, but that ended up falling through.” When a friend told him about the KPMG Lentemarathon Amstelveen, the date immediately struck a chord. “It’s the same date my father passed away. When I worked it out, I realised that next year, the day of the marathon will mark exactly ten years since his death.”
That took on even greater meaning when, shortly beforehand, his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It got him thinking. He wanted to do something that would honour both his father and his mother, while also helping others affected by cancer.
“I’ve always felt that I wanted to do something good. Then I thought: this all comes together. I’m going to run my first marathon, and I want to use it to raise money for KWF Kankerbestrijding.”
Working towards €10,000
To raise awareness of his fundraiser, Kris and a friend made a video in which he explains why he is running the marathon and raising money for KWF. The video is now online and quickly attracted plenty of views and shares. “I think it’s been viewed about thirty thousand times now and shared around fifty times. I certainly wasn’t expecting that.”
So far, €2,500 has been raised, and his fundraiser still has several months to run. “I don’t think people should feel they have to donate. It should be voluntary. But of course I’m going to do my best to raise more money. Hopefully we’ll reach €10,000.”
Through his fundraiser, Kris hopes to contribute to research and better treatments. “With more research, better results and new treatments, there’s a greater chance that people can live longer. Or perhaps even have a chance of being cured. I want that for them too.”
From never having run a marathon to 42.195 kilometres
The fundraiser gives Kris extra motivation as he prepares for his sporting challenge. Having never run a full marathon, he has now started training seriously. “I usually need a goal. Once I have one, I go for it.”
A friend who is a keen runner is helping him prepare. His friend runs at around four minutes per kilometre. “There’s no way I’ll manage that,” Kris laughs. “But he’s going to coach me.”
A fast time is not his main priority. “I’ll be happy just to finish the whole thing. I simply want to make sure I don’t stop.”
On 21 March, Kris will line up at the start of the KPMG Lentemarathon Amstelveen. He will take on 42.195 kilometres for the first time, on a date that has held meaning for him for ten years. For Kris, the marathon is more than a sporting challenge. It is a personal goal he can work towards for months, while doing something for others along the way. And perhaps that is what makes his story so relatable: everyone can stand at the start of the KPMG Lentemarathon with their own reason, motivation or goal.
Would you like to support Kris or another participant? Take a look at all our runners’ fundraising pages: View the fundraising pages on Supporta ↗
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