I did it!
On 30 September 2007 I took part in the Great North Run, the largest half-marathon
in the world, to raise 
money
for the Big Issue Foundation, a charity that provides training and all kinds
of other support to help homeless people find their feet again and have a fresh
start.
Despite breaking my toe, I still managed to finish the
race. My time for my first half-marathon was a little over two and a half hours
and I had a fantastic day. 
The
run was full of atmosphere, the crowds great, the setting was really interesting
to run through and the last mile on South Shields sea front was perfect: the
setting, the crowds, the buzz, the knowledge that soon I could stop...
I raised over a thousand pounds, but donations are still possible online until the end of November: www.justgiving.com/keithbrooke. All contributions are very much appreciated! Many thanks to you all.
With perfect timing I stubbed my toe on a radiator and I think it was broken. The toe, that is: the radiator was fine.
It limited any final preparations, but I was still able to complete the run on the day.