So it’s finally happened…after years of talking about it, Dad and I have finally ran ‘our’ marathon!

And what a marathon it was…starting with us being bussed for about an hour with 4000 odd runners halfway up a hillside in the middle of nowhere to stand in the freezing rain to then run back 26.2 miles – madness. Still, the course set off downhill through some pretty impressive countryside and then reached the first of Nessie’s humps at 5 miles – reality kicked in with a vengeance and the downhills were so steep as to need fixed ropes. But we motored along the flatter bits, admiring the scenery along the loch and the bewildered looks on the sheep that were lining the course. The real hill was reached at mile 18 (and 19 and 20) but by that time the sun was out and we were trundling along quite nicely. The last few miles were along the river in Inverness with a loop to finish in a park. With support from mum, mates and a vuvuzuela we made it to the finish line with a smile.

So far, I’ve raised over £1,100 for the charity where I work – the International Network of Street Papers (INSP). I am tremendously grateful for this support and hope that if you have not donated already, you will consider giving to this worthy cause.

INSP provides support, training and other resources to over 100 street papers in 37 countries across the world, from Argentina to Japan. These all work along the lines of The Big Issue where vendors buy copies at cost and ‘earn’ the profits. Thousands of disadvantaged people have been helped out of poverty through their involvement with street papers.

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.For more information, please see http://www.street-papers.org/

Thank you!!! Xxx