Hello all,

Last year I decided that I wanted to shake things up, set a challenge for myself, and raise money for a superb cause.

I was due to take part in the Manx Mountain Marathon in April, and the Wicklow EcoTrail 50 mile trail run in September. Unfortunately, the former was postponed till next year, and I have decided to replace the latter with a local challenge.

That challenge is the ‘Bob Baxter’, a route that is between 50-60 miles and covers 37 hills, for a total of over 11,000 feet of elevation. Due to the shorter periods of daylight in September, I have decided to bring the run forward to the 29th August.

This all in aid of MCH and Isle Listen. MCH have been doing amazing work for many years now and have been providing a service which has been underfunded on the Isle of Man, by helping both those struggling with cancer, and also the people close to them.

More recently, this service has expanded with the introduction of Isle Listen; through which, the amazing team has been helping in an area which again, has not benefited from sufficient funding over the years. The newly expanded team has been helping young people to be more mindful of their mental health and how to cope in times of difficulty. In addition to this, there has been training for various employers on the island, helping those in the workplace to be more aware of work-related stress and employee wellbeing.