Thanks for supporting my fundraising for this event and for taking an interest in my mid-life crisis. 

The primary reason for this challenge was to say thanks to Macmillan Cancer Support for being there for both my parents in the last stage of their lives. They provided support and comfort, not just for my mum and dad, but also for my family and I, during these times and beyond. Without the fantastic support of our Macmillan workers, my mum would not have been able to spend her last weeks at home with her family around her, as was her wish. Without Macmillan, my dad would have given up his own personal fight without mum around, and we would not have had him for nearly 10 years after mum passed away. With the help and support of Macmillan, we, as a family, were able to spend as much time as we needed and offer as much care as we were capable to offer for both our mum and dad. They have a special place in our hearts.

As I approached my 50th birthday I thought it might be a good idea to set myself a challenge whilst also raising some cash for such a fantastic organisation. So my 50 at 50 for 50 was born. Between 1st May 2019 and 31st April 2020 (the year that I am 50), I will run 50 organised (where possible) 10K runs through the UK with the aim of raising £50K for Macmillan Cancer Support, which could help fund a Macmillan Support Worker for nearly two years.

I'm not a runner, having only taken part in one of these events in the past, so this is truly a challenge for me. But it occurred to me that running was easy enough to get into and it was something my wife was already into. My daughter is showing interest in the sport too, so it might provide a good opportunity to spend more time with them. I'm still working on my son :) I'm also inviting friends and members of my extended family to join me on some of the races. I will post regular updates on the progress of my challenge - all the ups and downs, all my times, good or bad, and any points of interest as I go. Please follow my challenge and hopefully I can inspire you to donate some of your hard earned cash.

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