On November 1st, 2015, I am set to join around 50,000 other runners at the start line of the New York marathon. In entering the race I'm aiming not just to fulfil a long-time personal ambition, but to raise money for the MS Society. 

Beating Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a cause very close to my heart. My mother was diagnosed with MS when I was young, so I've seen the impact this debilitating neurological disease can have firsthand. I also have several close friends whose families have been affected. 

Thanks to a combination of positive thinking and the latest medicine, my mum is still doing great and able to live life to the full. But she's one of the lucky ones. 

MS affects over 100,000 people in the UK and around 12,500 in Switzerland and there is currently no cure. It causes paralysis, memory loss, and sadly in very severe cases, death. 

My six-day-a-week marathon training plan is tough, but it's nothing compared with what MS sufferers face every single day. The MS Society is leading the charge in finding a cure that will end this suffering for good and, in the meantime, is supporting those with MS to cope with the disease. 

Your donation will go a long way towards helping those with MS, and to wiping out the disease for good. Every penny counts, so please just give whatever you can. In return I promise I'll give my all for 26.2 miles on November 1st. 

Mike

P.S. Worried about donating online? Don't be. 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.