I will be running the Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday 20th October, and I'm hoping to finish the course in under 5 hours! I am raising funds for YCT, a mental health charity for children and young people based in Harlow, Essex. The charity provides free counselling, play therapy, art therapy and parent support to those aged 5-25 years in West Essex and East and North Herts.

The TCS Amsterdam Marathon is a World Athletics Platinum Label Road Race that, for years, has had one of the fastest courses in the world. In the ranking of fastest marathon cities, the largest marathon of the Netherlands is in fourth place. Highlights of the course include the start and finish in the Olympic Stadium, the passage through the Rijksmuseum and along the Heineken Experience, stretches along the Amstel and through the Vondelpark.

If you would like to support me during this exciting challenge, please donate whatever you can! All funds raised will go to YCT for their counselling and therapeutic services for children and young people.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.