Allan Dolby has been Managing Director at Direct Air since 1993. Throughout the past 30 years Allan and the Direct Air team have taken on challenging activities to support charity funding. This year Allan is going solo as he takes on his biggest challenge yet.

Allan has completed half marathons in the past with his daughters, but this year he’s deciding to go the extra mile (the extra 13 miles actually!) by running the Richmond Marathon on 15th September 2024 whilst raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Society charity.

We’re excited to share this with you, so to get things started we sat down with Allan to chat about why he’s so passionate to complete this challenge.

 

The journey so far...

Initially, Allan had planned to run the London Marathon, however due to injury this could not go ahead. Due to this change Allan registered for the Richmond Marathon and is also trying to secure a place in next year’s London Marathon.

Here’s Allan’s comments about the change:

“It’s with huge disappointment that I must report that due to minor but niggling injuries sustained in the last 2 – 4 weeks that I have had to decide I am not able to run this year’s London Marathon.

Things were looking good with several 13 to 14 mile training runs undertaken. However, despite investing in numerous physio sessions, ice baths and more I had to admit at the weekend that for this year my London Marathon journey could not continue.

I have now entered the Richmond Marathon, which is held in September this year and, following a conversation with Alzheimer’s Society, I am hopeful of getting a place in next year’s London Marathon. I will be running both in support of Alzheimer’s with a plan of rehabilitation and strengthening now in place.

Therefore, the posts on this will go quiet for a while but hopefully later in the year there will be an update as I am determined to get this done.

Finally, for all who have donated so far, I am so grateful for your support, and I have amended my fundraising page for Richmond 2024 and London 2025. Sorry that I can’t do what I had planned this April but I will be back!”

Donate here

Why have you decided to do the Marathon?

This year, I have decided to take on the ultimate challenge that requires months of preparation, dedication, and mental strength – the Richmond Marathon. However, my reason for doing so goes beyond personal accomplishment. I have chosen to participate in the iconic event to support the Alzheimer’s Society charity, honour the memory of my beloved mother, and seek a new challenge that will push my limits.

Alzheimer’s disease is a cruel and debilitating illness that affects millions of individuals and their families worldwide. Therefore, I have decided to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Society charity, which provides essential support and resources for those affected by the disease.

What are your aims and goals for this challenge?

My aims and goals for this challenge are simply to start and finish the marathon! That alone is such a personal achievement that will require unwavering determination and resilience. However, alongside that, I am also committed to raising as much money as possible for such a great cause.

Running 26.2 miles is no small feat, but I wanted to make this event meaningful and impactful by raising funds for a cause close to my heart – the Alzheimer’s Society charity.

Can you talk us through your training plan?

My marathon training is still going well, but steady since my injury. With a well-structured training plan in place, I have been consistently putting in the required effort and making progress week by week.

I am hoping to get my training back to multiple runs per week, with longer distances covered during the weekends. I will continue with this right up until the marathon date approaches.

I will be doing smaller challenges along the way, for example I took part in the Brighton 10K race this April. My participation in the Brighton 10K holds an even deeper significance as my daughter, Lauren Dolby, ran in the Brighton Marathon where she also supported the Alzheimer’s Society charity. By running in the Brighton 10K race, I was able to proudly support my daughter’s endeavour and also continue to contribute to raising awareness and funds for this worthy cause.

The Brighton 10K race acts as a great stepping stone on my marathon training journey. It allows me to get back amongst the race atmosphere and fine-tune marathon strategies.

What are your sponsorship plans?

Any sponsorship, no matter how small, will be most welcome and will go towards a great cause that affects so many of us. At Direct Air, we have been a long-standing supporter of Alzheimer’s Society charity – it is a cause that is close to our hearts. We firmly believe in the power of standing together and making a positive impact in our communities.

To magnify the impact of your sponsorship, Direct Air is committed to matching every pound donated with our own pound.

Donate here

Take a look at the charity work Direct Air have done in the past

One Giant Leap for Alzheimer’s Society

One Giant Leap for Alzheimer’s Society

With Direct Air’s 25th anniversary on the horizon in 2018, we thought it was about time we selected a company charity.

A cause which is very close to the company is the growing battle against dementia, therefore for 2018 we raised money in support of Alzheimer’s Society.

We set ourselves the goal to complete at least 12 charitable events that year – that’s 1 per month!

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We skydived for Alzheimer’s Society

We skydived for Alzheimer’s Society

After arriving at the airfield for 8am and not jumping until 12pm, it’s safe to say we all went through the emotions throughout the build-up to leaving the plane: determined, worried, motivated, sweaty palms and nervous tummy’s!

However, it was an incredibly rewarding experience as our team of divers were all in it together to support our company charity. Across the country there were 400 skydivers taking part and placing themselves out of their comfort zone to raise money and awareness for a fantastic cause.

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We got muddy for Alzheimer’s Society

We got muddy for Alzheimer’s Society

The wolf run is not your average off road run with trail runs, obstacles and mud… lots of mud. And with Direct Air not being your average company, we took a pack of 8 to take part in the last ever event at Welsh Road Farm.

During the Autumn 2018 Wolf Run, we ran, climbed, jumped, waded, crawled and swam through the challenging 10K course.

We took part in the challenge to raise money for our company charity, Alzheimer’s Society.

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Impressive year 1 fundraising total for Alzheimer’s Society

Impressive year 1 fundraising total for Alzheimer’s Society

We want to say a huge congratulations to everyone who took part in any fundraising activities from our Direct Air team, as we raised a massive £10,793 for Alzheimer’s Society!

The fundraising activities:

  • We took to the clouds for a team skydive
  • We got muddy at the Autumn wolf run
  • We went retro for Flashback Friday
  • And much more…

Learn More