Following my MS diagnosis in early 2022, I've taken part in a number of long distance events to fundraise for charities that support those affected by Multiple Sclerosis. So far, helping raise over £16,500 through completing the Keswick2Barrow 40 mile walk in 2023 and 2024, and Manchester Marathon 2025.

Looking ahead, I'm now setting myself a new goal for 2026! I'll be taking part in a number of running and hiking challenges in the lead up to my first trail ultra marathon in September! Can you help me meet my ambitious aim of raising £100 for every mile of the ultra?! See what I've in store below:

April: "The West Highland Way" - 96 miles (154 km)

In April, I hiked the world-renowned West Highland Way over 5 days. This is a long-distance walking trail in Scotland, starting from Milngavie (near Glasgow) and ending in at Fort William, with 12,000ft (3,650m) elevation gain.

May: "Keswick2Barrow" - 40 miles (64 km)

In May, I again took on the legendary local one-day event through the Lake District. This year, I ran the course, rather than walking, finshing in just over 7 hours - shaving off 5.5 hours hours from previous years! Our "MS Stompers" team have now won the "GSK Charity Trophy" twice, awarded to the team which raises the highest amount of money for charity.

June: "10in10" - 16 miles (26 km) and 10 peaks

In June, Marie and I tackled the 10in10 challenge, climbing 10 Lake District peaks in 10 hours. This annual challenge was designed and created by Yvonne Booth in response to her husband Duncan's diagnosis with MS, as a way to help raise money for those affected by MS.

August: "The Cumbria Way" - 71 miles (112 km)

In August, Marie and I staycation-ed with a hiking holiday closer to home - walking the length of the Cumbria Way from North to South. We set off from Carlisle and finished at our literal front door! Spending 6 days hiking through some of the most stunning scenery in the Lake District - climbing around 10,500ft (3200m) of elevation along the way.

September: "The Lap" - 47 miles (72 km)

It all leads up to this! On September 12th I'll take part in my first trail ultra marathon. We'll have 24 hours to circumnavigate Windermere, England's largest and most iconic lake. This year's route will climb 8,530ft (2,500m) of ascent on completely ungroomed trails. I'll be joined by Ben and James, who've also taken part in a number of long-distance events to fundraise for MS charities.

The cause: MS Together

I'll once again be fundraising for MS Together - an incredible charity who provide support to people affected by MS, with a particular focus on those living with MS aged 18-35.

MS Together enable connections to be made through their peer to peer support service, organising virtual and in-person events, and providing access to low cost therapy services.

MS Together empower people to share their stories, advocate for themselves and live their best lives, despite their MS. Together we can show that we are #MoreThanMS.

Donation Matching:

- Donating Googlers can have Google match their donations via go/give-mst

- Donating Spotifiers can also match their donations via spotify.benevity.org, by searching for "MS Together"