Prince Harry had a surprise up his sleeve for a pair of runners in Los Angeles this weekend!
Due the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the annual London Marathon is taking place remotely, with runners participating from their home bases around the world. Mark and Chudney Espiritu were a pair of those runners that took on the 26.2 miles at home in Los Angeles – and that’s where Harry stepped in.
“We were supposed to run the 40th London Marathon last April, then COVID happened. The marathon was moved to October 4, but COVID is still happening 🤦🏻♀️, so the actual race was changed to a virtual one. Runners have the option to run this year’s virtual marathon & still keep a spot in 2021, 2022 or 2023 (pretty awesome work by the organizers),” Chudney explained in a post shared by Team 3P on Instagram.
Adding, “They decided to still keep 2020 as the 40th year. So, the virtual marathon tomorrow has its own app, tracking, cut-off times & they would send medals when you actually finish the race. London Marathon reached out to us since they are looking for LA runners. They asked if we have an inspiring story to tell behind our love of running. Mark emailed them back- ‘My wife has an inspiring story to tell.'”
According to Chudney, her husband told the marathon’s organizers that she had an inspiring story to share.
“I told them about my cancer journey, my sudden urge to take care of myself, how Running just changed my life for the better. I also mentioned that I decided to still run the virtual marathon because it is their 40th & it is my 40th too! ☺️ I also wrote that I’m dedicating this run for my mom, who is battling such a brutal disease.”
Adding, “I got an email & we were told that the London Marathon ambassador will meet with us. That day was today & we found out that the ambassador was the Duke of Sussex! Prince Harry!!! 😱 He is so laid-back and very down to earth. He actually asked if it is okay for us to sit on the floor. The interview was more of like a chat with a friend. ♥️ What an experience this was. I never imagined myself chatting with Prince Harry. 😅 This is one for the books. I will never forget this day. 🤴🏼💙 Official photos and video will be emailed to us. This was from Mark’s phone. Prince Harry happily agreed to take pics with our phones and yes there were masks, hand sanitizers & social distancing.”
Harry, who now lives in Santa Barbara with Meghan Markle and son Archie, was also expected to attend this year’s London Marathon in person. Instead, he sent a message of encouragement to runners around the world.
“Thanks to all of you, the extraordinary spirit of the London Marathon will continue to shine across the globe,” they royal said in the video, which was shared on the official marathon’s Instagram account. “While we won’t be together in person, we are together in spirit. And the amazing tenacity of runners from around the world is a reminder of our strength and sense of community during these difficult times.”
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