Good afternoon

In less than 2 weeks I will be running in the Comrades Marathon in South Africa (on 31 May).

The Comrades is one of the most famous ultra-marathon races in the world and this year it is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

The race is run annually in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa between the cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. The direction of the race alternates each year between the "up" run starting from Durban and the "down" run starting from Pietermaritzburg. This year is an up run. Athletes have 12 hours to complete the course although there are a number of cut-off points along the route which runners must reach by a prescribed time or be forced to retire from the race.

This is my first Comrades (apparently you cannot say you have done the Comrades until you have run both ways), and although I have had my fair share of niggles and injuries over the past few months, I am looking forward to completing the challenge. 

However, and more importantly, I am raising money for Schneider Children's Medical Centre.

Schneiders is the only comprehensive, highly specialized care hospital of its kind in Israel dedicated exclusively to the well-being of all children and adolescents. Schneider Children's also receives patients from the Palestinian Authority and Jordan, and from as far away as Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, thus fulfilling its mandate to serve as a “bridge to peace” in the region. Since its establishment in 1991, Schneider Children's has become recognized as an institution of medical and academic excellence. Schneider Children's receives the most severe cases of chronic illness, complex surgeries and serious injuries of youngsters from all over the country, with the result that patients can be hospitalized for long periods of time. Any hospital experience presents children with an intimidating and complicated challenge, which can have a significant impact upon the child’s mental state, affecting diagnosis, treatment and subsequent rates of recovery and rehabilitation.

UK Friends of Schneider is a volunteer group in the UK dedicated to raising much needed funds for the Hospital.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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.