Thank you very much to all the kind people who sponsored me to run the Brighton Half marathon for RISE charity! The fund raising continues......

My running challenge, which is nearly 4years in the making, is to run 50 consecutive monthly Half Marathons (each 13.1 miles or 21.1 kilometres) across a distance of 655miles !

My 47th Half Marathon was on 28th February 2016 - the Brighton Half Marathon - which i will ran especially for the charity RISE.

I'm now on the last race before achieving my 50 running goal and my legs are holding out well! I really wanted to make the this challenge more purposeful by dedicating my final 7 Half Marathon's to two incredibly deserving charities:

RISE - a local Sussex charity providing shelter and support for women and children affected by domestic abuse;

and WOMANKIND - which campaigns internationally to end discrimination, poverty and violence against women.

I’m fundraising for these two important causes because I strongly believe a more equal world, where women feel empowered, respected and safe, is critical to the success and development of a more humane society. Protection and support for women and children who suffer violence or abuse is essential, and i'd happily run my little legs ragged to raise some funding for these support networks!

Why am i running the Brighton Half Marathon for RISE?

It is hard to imagine that 1 in 4 women will experience abuse at some point in their lifetimes. Many of these women will have children, 90% of whom will be in the same or next room when the abuse occurs. Domestic abuse has a higher rate of repeat victimisation than any other crime. On average a woman will be attacked 35 times before she reports the abuse, over half of all rape is committed by a partner or ex-partner and domestic abuse is the single highest cause of homicide in women in the UK. Domestic abuse doesn’t affect only heterosexual women - men and those in same-sex relationships can also be victims of violence in the home. These are national figures but they translate locally to the RISE Helpline handling nearly 2,500 calls last year.

As well as crisis accommodation in two refuges, RISE also offers crisis appointments, helpline, counselling, housing, legal and financial advice, solicitor’s appointments, support groups, play therapy and 1-to-1 support. It costs over £4,657 every day to keep these vital, lifesaving services available for local families, so every penny you can spare will help keep safe some of the most vulnerable in our community.

I am no great athlete, and many other runners could run faster and further than i do. But having a monthly running goal and training plan has made me feel stronger and more healthy, and given me plenty of time to think about how very lucky i am to be able to run when i want, without fear or worry. My life as a man is relatively easy, even when made difficult through personal challenges. I greatly respect the work of organizations such as RISE, who support and empower women and their families who struggle against opression and are helped back onto their feet, and i am more than happy to run for their greater achievements and cause.

On 8th November 2015 i turned 44 years old, and ran my 44th consecutive monthly Half Marathon! (i've not been planning this challenge my whole life, it's just a happy accident!:) My 48th Half was the Paris Semi Marathon on Mothers Day in memory of the 10th anniversary of my mums death. My 50th and final consecutive monthly Half Marathon will take place on 22nd May 2016 - the Snowdonia Half Marathon in Wales UK.

Please help motivate me towards reaching this mountainous goal by lending your generous support to RISE.

Every little helps, no matter how small a donation: Little by little, we run far!

Thank you very much for your kind support, and encouragement!:)

Julian Roberts

Follow my running adventures here: http://julianand.tumblr.com

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