Mark Harrison is a Consultant at the 848 Group who specialises in all things cloud environments. He also regularly runs marathons raising money for incredible causes. We’re shining the spotlight on Mark and his commitment to balancing training, fundraising, and his role at 848.
Mark, The Consultant
Mark is a part of the furniture at 848 – he’s been with us for over 5 years. His role as a Consultant sees him working on a range of projects for all different clients. His expertise lies in the technical design, architecture, and implementation of cloud environments and hybrid infrastructure underpinned by Microsoft Azure. With over 30 years of experience and a range of Microsoft certifications, Mark is an accredited professional with in-depth knowledge and expertise.
Mark, The Athlete and Fundraiser
Mark has been running for 22 years and so far, he has finished 15 marathons, with his next two in Boston and New York! He started running over 20 years ago and has never looked back. He trains on a weekly basis running 40-60 miles per week. Mark has also been fundraising for this long too, and over the years he has completed marathons in aid of a range of different causes. The two charities most close to his heart though are Cancer Research and Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Q&A with Mark
Can you share a bit about your background and how you got involved in marathon running?
“Growing up I spent many hours with a ZX Spectrum, Atari ST and Commodore Amiga before moving onto PCs, which I was building as part of my first job. Following the ‘excesses of youth’ I was rather overweight and was inspired by watching the Great North Run on the BBC to finally do something about it. I entered my first race, the Great South Run back in 2003. It took just under 2hrs to complete the 10mile course. Last time I did it I completed it in 67 minutes.”
What inspired you to start using marathons as a way to fundraise?
“I lost my mum in 2006 to cancer, so I started to look into fundraising for Cancer Research and breast cancer charities. Recently I have been fundraising for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, partly due to high profile rugby players who have been diagnosed, but also due to the inspiring efforts of Kevin Sinfield.”
What does a typical week of training look like for you?
“In the 12 weeks leading up to a marathon, I will typically be running between 45 and 60 miles a week. Sundays tend to be longer (up to 22 miles) and weekdays shorter with some interval sessions which are short fast sections with recovery jogs in between.”
Can you tell us about a particularly memorable moment or achievement in your running career?
“Probably my first Great North Run just for the amazing atmosphere. Also, my first marathon which was London in 2012. It was a special occasion as London hosted the Olympic Games that year. The biggest buzz would be turning the last corner of the Berlin Marathon and seeing the Brandenburg Gate knowing that it would be just 800m to the finish!”
Do you have any upcoming races or fundraising goals?
“I’m currently training for the Boston Marathon but have the Brighton and Stafford Half Marathons booked as warm-ups. In November I’ll be running the New York Marathon. I then just need to run Tokyo next year to complete the 6 marathon majors and achieve the 6-star award. I’ve not decided on a charity for this year yet, but the support from the MNDA last year was incredible.”
Support Mark’s Fundraising Journey
You can learn more about Mark, his training, and the charities close to his heart over on his JustGiving page. There’s also a link on there to fundraise/donate to the Motor Neurone Disease Association too. Mark will be fundraising for another charity for his New York marathon in November, and we will share the details of this soon.
If you’d like to get into running or would like advice on fundraising Mark is more than happy to help, simply email [email protected] and we’ll put you in touch with him.