Welcome to Ru’s 8 Halfs for Horatio’s!

What am I doing and why am I doing it?

I am running 8 half marathons in aid of Horatio’s Garden, a totally fantastic charity that creates and maintains beautiful and accessible gardens at NHS Spinal Injury Centres, supporting people with spinal injury. I’m no real runner, having dipped in and out of going for runs over the years, giving up during Covid and not really starting again till the end of last year, when I first thought about doing 1 half marathon. The seven others? They are a more recent addition to my challenge, but if you’re going to do something big, you’ve got to do it properly!

Spinal cord injuries are traumatic events, the results are life-changing, devastating and can happen to anyone. Patients face spending months, and in some cases, years, in hospital, with limited or no access to the outside world. Research shows that these patients are 56% more likely to experience mental health problems than the general population (Migliorini et al, 2008.) It has also been shown that having contact with nature helps counteract this, helping to support patient rehabilitation.

Horatio’s Garden provides patients access to nature, in a safe and accessible space, where they can relax in the fresh air, participate in creative workshops, and enjoy privacy away from the hospital ward. The gardens are not only beneficial for patients, but it also provides a haven for visits from family, taking them out of the ward into a green space full of nature, with patients reporting that the garden has made a positive difference to these visits.

Starting in April 2025, I will be running 1 half marathon a month till I make it to eight, one for each open Horatio’s Garden across the country. My list of races is:

1: London Landmarks – 6th April 2025

2: Great Birmingham Run – 4th May 2025

3: Bath Two Tunnels - 1st June 2025

4: Goodwood Race Circuit Half – 6th July 2025

5: Newbury Racecourse Half – 10th August 2025

6: Winchester Half Marathon –21st September 2025

7: Cardiff Half – 5th October 2025

8: Salisbury Plain Half Marathon –11th October 2025

All support is gratefully received, please only give if you feel you can. I will keep my JustGiving up to date with training stats, photos and results! You can also follow my progress on my Instagram page @ru_can_run or follow me on Strava too! Let’s do this challenge together and support this incredible charity and the work it does!

Thank you! R Xx