I done it!!!

I'm so pleased that I managed to complete the course - and even more delighted to have completed it under my goal of 6 hours (just!).

It was incredibly tough, but the support around the course was incredible and definitely helped me to get to the end.

I'm also so proud of my 2 sons who finished in amazing times (hence why they're in hoodies in the photo to keep warm, as they had to wait a long time for me to finish!)

I'd like to thank each and every one of you who sponsored me. I started with a goal of £500 and have been completely blown away by peoples generosity, as I have now raised over 3 times this. I truly hope that this can help with research into this awful disease.

Will I do this again? Most definitely not - but at least it's now ticked off my bucket list!!

Thank you again - you're all amazing!!

xxxxx

Anybody who knows me well knows that I am not a runner!

From an early age, my only sporting successes were the wheelbarrow race or the egg-and-spoon. I usually came last in any running event and was very often the child chosen last for any team sports.

So deciding to run a marathon has surprised pretty much everyone — including me.

Last year, I lost my mum. Completely out of the blue, she was admitted to hospital with stomach pain. Five weeks later, she died from pancreatic cancer. She never made it back home.

It’s hard to put into words how that felt. I felt lost, shocked, and incredibly lonely — the one person who truly knew me, was suddenly gone.

Those weeks in hospital were especially hard because we didn’t know what we were facing. We were unprepared for the final outcome. Watching someone you love become so unwell, so quickly, and knowing there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it, is devastating.

Sadly I can’t change what happened to my mum, but if running this marathon helps raise awareness or funds that prevent even one person — or one family — from going through something similar, then every painful mile will be worth it.

I am lucky enough to be running with my 2 sons and future daughter-in-law, although they're likely to finish several hours ahead of me!

This will be tough, but I am training hard and determined to finish - however it will be nothing compared to the fight that people with cancer face every day.

Thank you so much for supporting me