As many of you now know, Bill passed away on the 31st August 2012 and after nearly 20 years of knowing him as my step dad this came at a great shock and loss to me, along with the rest of my family. We are left with a rather large Bill shaped hole in our lives, as are many others in similar circumstances – his condition affects millions of people around the world.

I am running the Thames Trot Ultra 50 to raise money for Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice, not just as a thank you for the amazing care and support we received during an extremely difficult time, but also as an effort to (what I’d like to think will) make a difference to others.

The Thames Trot Ultra 50 is a 50 mile trail run from a pub in Oxford to a pub in Henley along the Thames path. I expect this to be a continuous 9 (to 10) hour run with minimal stops along the way – I’ve never run for any longer than 4 1/2 hours in one go! I intend this Ultra to be a one off race for me as I am not looking to fundraise in this way (for another long distance run) again.

So let's just hope I don’t get lost along the way!

Thank you all so much for your support, it makes a huge difference that we can offer such a supporting hospice help to care for those that need it.