A funeral director has raised thousands of pounds for charity and helped hundreds of people break down the taboos around discussing death by running the London Marathon in his full work attire – including frockcoat and top hat.
Anghus Weightman, who works alongside his father Paul at Godalming Funeral Service, was inspired to take on the 26-mile by the Hospice UK’s Dying Matters campaign, which aims ‘to make things better for people across the country who are dying or grieving.’
Anghus, who is an experienced runner, completed the course in four hours and 21 minutes, and has raised more than £7,000 for the charity.
Having practiced at local events wearing the same clothing, Anghus was well prepared for the showpiece event and said standing out amongst the participants earned him huge support from the marathon crowds.
“I couldn’t go 20 metres without someone encouraging me from the sides. The atmosphere was unbelievable,” he said.
“I was expecting to have blisters from the rim of my top hat, but thankfully they didn’t materialise. It was the braces I used to keep the trousers up which actually caused the most discomfort, on top of the usual aches and pains from running that far.
“I wanted to complete it in less than four hours but woke up a little under the weather a couple of days before and felt my body cramping up with 10 miles to go, so I made the decision to slow down a little to make sure I got to the finish line.”
Anghus said he had been delighted to support the Dying Matters campaign.
“I thought I would just raise some money and that would be the end of it,” he said.
“But the number of conversations I have had about this issue have been brilliant. The story has reached thousands of people and helped people understand that funeral directors are approachable and we do good work in the community; our door is open if you want to pop in for a cup of tea or a chat.”