Never Say Never... Apparently!

Back in 2017, I completed the Southampton Half Marathon to raise money for the Centre for Cancer Immunology.

As I crossed the finish line, red-faced, exhausted, (but proud nonetheless!) I confidently declared that I would never run a long-distance event again. And it was my LAST long-distance run I had done...

Fast forward ten years and, well... here we are.

Not only have I somehow signed up for another half marathon, but this time I've managed to rope my husband Chris into joining me too. So if I'm suffering, at least I won't be suffering alone!

These days I work in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton, right next door to where the new Institute for Medical Innovation (IMI) will be built. The IMI will bring together experts in medicine, engineering and computer science to tackle some of the world's biggest health challenges, and it's exciting to support something that will make such a difference for future generations.

I enjoy giving back to the community through volunteering at Junior Parkrun, and helping with Scouts, so taking on this challenge felt like the right thing to do, even if my legs strongly disagree. We've also done a few charity runs in the past, (photos from) Great South Run 2012 for MS Society, and most recently Runway Run 2026 for Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance.

Together, Chris and I have pledged to raise £300 for the IMI and make a proper Jones-sized dent in the fundraising effort.

The building itself will become part of the University's history and, years from now, when it's transforming lives through research and innovation, we'd love to be able to point at it and tell our grandchildren:

"See that? That brick there. We helped make that happen."

So, despite my previous declaration never to run another long-distance event, the trainers are on, the training has begun, and the blisters are probably not far behind.

Thank you for any support, encouragement or donations. Every pound helps, every mile counts, and every step gets us closer to making our little bit of history.

Lesley & Chris