I will be taking part in Run to the Beat, London’s biggest half marathon on September 8th. Over 19,000 runners will join me (most of them are only running because I am...) in making their way around the iconic 13.1 mile course starting and finishing in Greenwich Park.

Many of you may have heard the, now legendary, story of how this man (yes, I have hunted him down...) overtook me as I ascended the hill (mountain!) next to the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul on the final stretches of my first ever marathon nearly two years ago. Suffice to say my confidence took a bit of a battering at that performance, and the running shoes were hung up for a long while.

 

I now look more like this man when I run, and given my distinct lack of proper training, I suspect I will look a bit like this upon finishing a half-marathon (if indeed I do finish!!)

 

Nevertheless, I have been persuaded to run in support of Nordoff Robbins, a fantastic music charity dedicated to transforming the lives of vulnerable children and adults across the UK. Through music therapy and other music services, they support a range of people with a range of challenges such as autism, dementia, mental health problems, stroke, brain injury and depression. Some of their clients have a life-threatening or terminal illness, such as cancer. All of these people have one uniting factor - music dramatically improves their quality of life.

 

For more information on Nordoff Robbins please see the website or check out this short film featuring Annie Lennox.

 

Any money you can give will surely help me keep going on those lonely final miles so please dig deep and donate now!