Against all reasonable judgement, I’ve decided that running 42.2km in one go sounds like an excellent way to celebrate turning 30 next year.

So, in April, I’ll be taking on the London Marathon and raising money for Rays of Sunshine.

I’ve had a close connection to Rays of Sunshine through a friend for several years, and during that time I’ve heard some genuinely incredible stories about the children and families they support.

Rays of Sunshine grants wishes to seriously ill children, creating moments of happiness and memories for children and their families at times when they need them most. Some of the stories I’ve heard over the years are amazing, and it’s a charity I’m genuinely very proud to be running for.

As for the running bit, I turn 30 in January and apparently decided a birthday meal and a few drinks weren’t quite enough to mark the occasion. I wanted to do something big, something that would properly challenge me, and somehow that thought process ended with 26.2 miles around London.

There are now many months of running ahead, an alarming number of kilometres to cover, and presumably a point somewhere around mile 20 where I’ll deeply regret every decision that led me here.

The aim is to raise at least £2,500 for Rays of Sunshine – although I’d love to absolutely smash that.

So if you’d like to donate, whether it’s because you believe in the brilliant work Rays of Sunshine does or you simply want to financially incentivise my suffering, I’ll be hugely grateful.

Every donation genuinely matters and will help Rays of Sunshine create more incredible moments for the children and families they support.

Thank you