In 2016 I ran both the Ultra Great Britain 200 mile race followed by the Thames Path Challenge 100km race to raise money for The Sepsis Trust. I chose this charity as I lost my dad at the age of 62 in May 2014 to Sepsis after a 10-week battle with the infection.

Seeing what Sepsis can do and losing my dad to it quite suddenly has made me realise that every moment of every day should be savoured and chances and opportunities taken. There's always excuses for not spending time doing things you want to or spending time with people but once those chances are gone, they may never come again.

Starting on 25th March I will be running a series of races this year, all of which will be to help The Sepsis Trust raise money to promote awareness of Sepsis and help save lives by catching the infection early.

The races are as follows:

13th March Wigan Half Marathon

25th March: Chester 50 mile Ultramarathon

2nd April: Manchester Marathon

15th April: Liverpool to Manchester 50 mile Ultramarathon

13th May Hardcastle 24 hour race (target 75 miles)

21st May Crazy Cow 10k

27th May Liverpool to Manchester Double 100 mile Ultramarathon

10th June Bolton Hill marathon

19th August Ultra Great Britain 200 mile Ultramarathon

3rd September Wigan 10k

10th September Great North Run (Half Marathon)

17th September English Half Marathon

8th October Badminton Horseless Trials Half Marathon

15th October Palma Marathon

26th December Leyland Boxing Day 10k

31st December Liverbird Double - Marathon Day 1

Seeing what I can achieve as part of running over the last year has given me the confidence to tackle these  challenges and hopefully will allow me to raise a further decent amount for The Sepsis Trust.

It would be great if you could support me in these challenges - if you can’t donate I understand, but please just take a minute to read on as it’s as much about raising awareness and spotting the signs.

So what is Sepsis? Previously known as septicimia or blood poisioning, Sepsis is the body’s reaction to an infection, resulting in your body attacking it’s own organs and tissues. Sepsis leads to shock, multiple organ failure and death especially if not recognized early and treated promptly.

Sepsis is caused by the way the body responds to germs, such as bacteria, getting into your body. The infection may have started anywhere in a sufferer’s body, and may be only in one part of the body or it may be widespread. Sepsis can occur following chest or water infections, problems in the abdomen like burst ulcers, or simple skin injuries like cuts and bites.

Sepsis can be caused by a huge variety of different bugs, most cases being caused by common bacteria which we all come into contact with every day without them making us ill. Sometimes, though, the body responds abnormally to these infections, and causes sepsis.



Different types of sepsis

Many people can have ‘mild’ sepsis which can make them feel ill but doesn’t require treatment in hospital. Mild sepsis can result from chest infections, urine infections and other minor illnesses.

However, other patients develop severe sepsis, which means they become seriously ill and need hospital treatment straight away. Early signs of a ‘flu-like illness, chest infection, diarrhoea and vomiting or inability to eat and drink, together with one of the symptoms of sepsis should be taken seriously. The `Sepsis 6’ symptoms to look out for are:


Slurred speech

Extremely painful muscles

Passing no urine (in a day)

Severe breathlessness

“I feel like I might die”

Skin mottled or discoloured

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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