I have seen the wonderful work that Juvenile Arthritis Research do to help children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) through my work and I’m pleased to be running 3 big races this year to help to support them with their hard and important work.

In 2026 I’ll be running Seville marathon on 15th February, Amersham 50k ultramarathon on 14th March and the Lakeland Trails 55k ultramarathon on 10th July. 147km or 91 miles of racing for this great cause. Any way you can support me I greatly appreciate ❤️

Inflammatory arthritis in young people is not uncommon. Around 1 in 1,600 children are diagnosed with JIA. Sadly, delays in diagnosis are common due to a lack of awareness. Some children and young people wait more than 5 years before they are diagnosed with JIA.

Raising awareness that children and young people get arthritis is really important. Increased awareness helps improve diagnosis, and that can lead to better outcomes for people with JIA. As we increase awareness of the condition, we can help make life better for children with JIA by removing the stigma attached to having a long-term, but often invisible, health condition.

JAR support research by universities, hospitals and industry as recognised patient partners. Through this, they represent the needs and views of the JIA community to researchers. They support research and quality improvement projects to try to understand the causes, the effects and the impacts of the condition. Ultimately, we want a cure for JIA.

Being told that your child has a long-term health condition can be daunting, and can leave you feeling isolated and alone. Children can feel frightened, and unsure of what is happening. They may not understand why they are experiencing symptoms that their peers don’t have. They may be worried about the medications they will have to take.

JAR offer vital support to young people and their family.

THANK YOU for reading and your support to reach my target.