Organisers of the Women Can Marathon, the first women only marathon in Devon, have selected four regional and national organisations as their nominated charitable causes for 2018, representing causes they feel strongly about.

Race director Pauline Beare selected FORCE, the Exeter-based cancer support charity, founded in 1987 to help anyone locally affected by the disease.

“We all know someone affected by cancer. FORCE is local and supports so many people. It’s a perfect fit for us,” she said.

Pauline was a founder of the Women’s Running Network and has been a lifelong advocate of promoting and helping women succeed in sport and she has also chosen the national charity Women in Sport, which enables women to find fulfillment in physical activity.

Jo Earlam, who founded the Women Can Marathon in 2017, has selected two organisations working in the field of dementia as her chosen causes.

“I lost my dad and several other family and friends to dementia. It’s an awful disease that is becoming more prevalent. I’m sure many of our runners will have a family member or know someone who has been affected," she said.

“Another link is that exercise has been shown to help stave off dementia, and running a marathon is an excellent way to keep active. My chosen charities are working in research and in community awareness, both really important for changing the lives of people with dementia.”

BRACE is a Bristol based charity that raises funds across the South West to support dementia research within the south west region.

Exeter Dementia Action Alliance is a community organisation working towards making Exeter a dementia friendly city.