Hi! Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.

I'm running the Hackney Half Marathon in memory of the wonderful Lisa Plumbridge, who passed away in January after a three year battle with cancer. A bunch of us have got together to raise money for Katharine House Hospice by running 13 miles around Lisa's beloved Hackney.

Lisa was 26 when she was diagnosed with advanced cancer. Typically headstrong, she fought through treatment and into remission, keeping up her wry humour and sunny smile. Tragically, the cancer returned and after more treatment and several hospital stays, she died at the beginning of the year.

She spent her last few days at Katharine House Hospice in Oxfordshire, surrounded by loads of family and friends. It was a great place for her and us to spend that difficult time, and is an amazing charity staffed largely by volunteers. We wanted to try and give back to the hospice; they gave Lisa and they gave us so much, and they continue to give other patients the same every day.

I hadn't really run since school when Kirsty and Carly persuaded me to join the team and run the half marathon. Some of us are already runners, but a lot of us (like me) find it a struggle. But as we're training and eventually running 13 miles around Hackney (a place Lisa lived in and loved) it's easy to be motivated by her memory, remember that she faced a much tougher struggle, and push ourselves further.

Lisa would love that we've got together to do this, and that we're doing something healthy. But she'd also have quite a bit of a laugh at us and be embarrassed that we're doing it for her. Nevermind, Sunshine.

Thanks again for visiting my page, and I hope you can sponsor me. I'll always be grateful if you do.

Mark