A woman is running the Berlin marathon on Sunday to raise money for a local theatre that gave her a "ready-made set of friends" after moving to London. 

Helen Geldert, 61, said she is "excited" to run the renowned marathon at the weekend in aid of Hampton Hill Theatre (HHT) which is need of repairs. 

"I always do these runs for charity and I always look round for a good case," Ms Geldert says. "And this year it was staring me in the face, it was so obvious." 

Geldert was in the top ten fastest runners in her age category (60-64) in the November 2022 London marathon, finishing at an impressive 3hrs25mins; this qualified her place in Berlin, without needing to raise money. 

"It is very much on the doorstep and something which has given me a lot in my life as well," she added. "It's good to give something back." 

Ms Geldert also was able to

"A ready-made set of friends" 

Having lived in Yorkshire all her life, Helen Geldert and her husband uprooted in 2008 and came to Hampton without knowing anyone.  

"We were living opposite this theatre of the high street, and we kind of just wandered in," Ms Geldert said. 

They got involved with Teddington Theatre Club, an amateur dramatic group which runs HHT. Ms Geldert said: "We found a brilliant community, really welcoming, everyone is treated equally, they're really open-minded to new members and letting everybody have a go." 

Hoping to live in Hampton Hill for five years, the couple have ended up staying for 15. 

Comparing southwest London to north Yorkshire, Ms Gelder said: "We've found the people here surprisingly friendly, and we love the climate here. 

"We found this almost ready-made set of friends." 

Ms Geldert playing Maragret Thatcher in Handbagged. (Photo: TTC/HHT)

Looking back on her time with TCC, Ms Geldert said "I really enjoyed being in Handbagged where I got to play Margaret Thatcher." 

Ms Geldert also was able to "fulfil a lifelong ambition" of singing the 'Queen of the Night aria' in TCC's 2020 production of Armadeus, which she won a Richmond Swan Award for. 

She said: "The Queen of the Night aria is quite famous as it goes up to top F so it's quite challenging. 

"I never dreamt that I would ever the opportunity to sing that in public." 

The couple have also supported the theatre on the bar and with front of house. "We've got a guy there who's in his 90s, and he helps out behind the bar," Ms Geldert said. "It's keeping him going." 

Hampton Hill theatre is in need of repairs. (Photo: Hampton Hill Theatre/Facebook)

Hampton Hill Theatre 

Opened in 1999, HHT is owned and operated by TTC. It was built through volunteer member contributions, national lottery funding and the Hampton fund. 

But 25 years down the line, HHT needs some serious TLC and repairs. 

"It's like when you buy a house," Ms Geldert said. "Everything goes wrong at once." 

A leaking roof, a dodgy boiler, an outdated fire system and numerous repairs are required to ensure that the building continues to meet modern safety standards and the scale of the funding required threatens the continued life of the theatre. 

"It looks like a modern theatre then actually the roof's falling down," Ms Geldert added. 

But, she said: "It's a great facility to have on the high street and it enhances Hampton Hill." 

TTC includes and welcomes actors, designers, technicians, backstage and front-of-house assistants, and presents six main house productions and four studio productions a year- all within the theatre's walls. 

Running with a mission 

Despite a few setbacks, including shin splints, hamstring tendinopathy and a chest infection (putting her out of training for six crucial days), Ms Geldert is ready to take Berlin. 

By the end of week 12 of training, she has total of 485 miles and done at least five runs lasting three hours or longer. 

When does she train? "Whenever I can fit it in," Ms Geldert said. "On my days in the office I run from Waterloo to Canary Wharf. 

"It gives you the chance to wake-up." 

Her long runs and heavy training days are saved for the weekend. 

Not just a solo sport, Ms Geldert also gave a shout out to Thames Hare & Hounds- the oldest running club in the world. She said: "I run on Wednesday nights in Richmond Park. In the dark we have headlights so it's good fun." 

Support Helen Geldert take on the Berlin marathon for Hampton Hill Theatre through the link. 

Any funds Ms Geldert raises will be doubled by her employer, BP, so she hopes to make a real difference.