In 2020 I started this fundraising page. I started training with a good level of fitness and my training went well. I had done an 18 mile run and was on track....and then....the marathon was cancelled due to covid. I won't bore you with everything that happened in the following years but suffice it to say my running was no longer happening and I lost nearly all of my fitness. 

From 7th November 2022 I started to train again and so I had just over 6 months to go from "couch to marathon". I no longer had any ambitions about how fast I would get round, I'm simply hoping to survive.

A month before the marathon we also had a change in family circumstances and put our house on the market with the hope of moving quickly. We have therefore been overwhelmed with sorting the house, solictors, viewings etc. The last month of training has therfore not gone to plan. But it's an amazing cause, I'm lucky to have a place, and many wonderful people have sponsored me so I'll be there at the starting line and at some point after that will hopefully cross the finish line too. 

I'm so grateful for all the support I received and I have just reached my target but if you can spare anything now to help encourage me along the 26 miles, which now feels a lot larger than it did before, I'd be very grateful. 

The 2020 message:

The picture above is of me at 7am on a cold winter's morning having just returned from my first Hill Session (for non-runners this is exactly what it sounds like; I ran as fast as I could up a hill, on this occasion 16 times, although it'll increase as I get closer to the Marathon).  Why would someone voluntarily do this? I was asking myself the same question when my alarm went off, and again when I felt quite sick half way through.  The answer is that it will make me stronger and fitter and, as one part of my training plan, will help me to get around 26.2 miles in one piece (hopefully).  Four years ago I had hardly ever run, and I have slowly increased my distance.  At the time of writing I have never run further than a half marathon, hence the need to train hard.

I am raising money for Amnesty International.  I want my children to grow up in a world where everyone's rights are respected and where there are people to fight for you when your lone voice isn't enough to get through. Amnesty promote respect for all the human rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and focus on ending abuses of these rights (physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination).  

Knowing that I am raising money for this important cause will help me to kick myself out of bed on those cold mornings, and help me to keep going all the way round the Marathon.  Thank you for visiting this page and please do give what you can to support the great work of Amnesty. I am very grateful for every donation, whatever the amount.  

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.