Hundreds of runners will pound the streets of Curaçao on Sunday, November 27th for the 3rd Annual KLM Curaçao Marathon. Many will run to beat personal bests but not Robbo Robbinson (43) from the United Kingdom. Robbo will be running the marathon to raise funds for a charity close to his heart; CARF.*
Robbo contacted us in September to tell us about this plan to raise funds for the abused, neglected and abandoned dogs that are in our care. Now that we’re just few days away from the marathon, we were curious to find out how Robbo is preparing and how this idea came about.
What made you decide to run the half marathon (21km) and raise funds for CARF?
“I enjoy running a lot, I find it a great way to get away from the stresses and strains of every day life. Since we moved to the island, my wife and l have been impressed with the work CARF does. We follow it all via Facebook. We fully support CARF’s mission and we feel that all abandoned and abused dogs deserve a second chance in life.”
Do you have any dogs yourself?
“We do, we have two dogs and one cat. Our dogs are named Emily (6 years old) and Pup-Pup (1 year old), both are rescued dogs. Emily was found by a friend of ours and Pup-Pup we found ourselves in a storm drain/storm sewer. And then we have our cat Winter, who was also rescued.”
Have you run any marathons before?
“Yes, the KLM Curaçao Marathon is going to be my 6th half marathon. My first marathon was back in 1993. This is my first marathon in Curaçao, but I have taken part in a number of RRCK races, including the Sambil and Guardian runs.
(RRCK is the premier road race organization in Curaçao and in the Caribbean region.)
What kinds of things do you think about when you run?
“I like looking around and enjoying the scenery when I run. I don’t think about too much while running, to be honest. The longer I run the more my body might ache, but the clearer my mind will feel. When I reach the point of exhaustion, I know I’ll be able to push further because then I can really only focus on two things; keep breathing and keep running.”
How are you preparing for the KLM Half Marathon?
“Physically, I prepare by running a few times a week. I have pounded many an hour on the treadmill in the gym. My motivation is to raise the necessary funds for all the great work that CARF does for the dogs in need. I’m sure my inner determination and motivation will get me through.”
Thank you for running for our CARFIES, Robbo! We are so thankful to have your support and you bet that we’ll be rooting for you all the way.
* If you would like to support Robbo, please send an email to stichtingcarf@gmail.com with subject ‘Robbo’ or make a donation in Robbo’s name at Maduro & Curiel’s Bank account number 21199501 or through PayPal.
For more information about the KLM Curaçao Marathon, visit curacaomarathon.com.
