I am a girl who likes nothing more than a chilled glass of Rosé and have always viewed running as an activity one only undertakes when running late for that dinner or yet again mis-judging the timing of a manicure. However, in April 2017, I found myself in a beer garden on the day of the London Marathon. In amongst the post-Marathon runners celebrations, in a slightly out-of-this-world moment, I decided that I would like to also experience that post-marathon elation. So, I entered the London Marathon 2018 ballot and quickly put it out of my mind. I was therefore subsequently shocked (and slightly horrified) in October when I had somehow (against a lot of odds) got a place in the London Marathon 2018. This wasn’t entirely the outcome I had imagined...

Anyway, I believe everything happens for a reason so I started training straight away (when you have never really run before, turns out that there is a lot to do!). Most of my training so far has consisted of running in various locations across the globe in a range of climates and terrains (with some interesting challenges from monkeys to avoiding the 7 million scooters of Saigon!)- yes, this unexpected event has been timed with my work sabbatical.

So, I have decided to run the Virgin Money London Marathon 2018 for the Malala Fund.

I believe strongly in gender equality and the “leave no one behind” principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. More often that not, it is girls who are left behind when it comes to education.

I am personally fortunate enough to have had a great education and therefore a large set of opportunities that flowed from this education. However, more than 130 million girls around the world are unable to go to school. Unable to engage in academic development (including simple reading and writing) that ultimately betters their success prospects, an unfathomable number of girls are being denied the fundamental human right of receiving an education. The gender gap in education in developing countries is extremely problematic.

Without education, these women are powerless and the rising inequalities are undercutting development progress, frustrating poverty eradication, and thereby producing continued social, political and economic instability.

This saddens me and whilst not an issue that has directly affected me, it cannot be right that still today so many girls are not able to have basic education!

This is why I have decided to dedicate my first ever marathon/official run to supporting a cause I wholeheartedly and firmly believe in - a world where every girl can learn and lead for 12 years without fear.

The Malala Fund was set up by Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban for going to school. Founded in 2013, the Malala Fund champions every girl’s rights to 12 years of free, safe and quality education focusing on regions where girls miss out most on education including India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Afghanistan and countries housing Syrian refugees.

Your donation will help girls in refugee camps, girls living in poverty, and girls afraid to go to school because of gender based violence.

Thank you so much! I will be thinking of each and every one of you throughout the entire 26.2 miles (along with that chilled glass of Rosé that I will hopefully be having at the finish line!).

Hayley xxx

P.S. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.