NEWS ALERT - The race is over, I survived and I BEAT MY TARGET TIME.

Official time was 1'44:04

More details/photos will follow

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I'm taking part in the Run to the Beat half-marathon on Sept 27 to raise money for the WAY Foundation. It supports men and women under 50 who have been widowed young in the UK. It is a very worthy cause.

I'm running in memory of a former colleague, Nick Doughty, who died of cancer some years ago, leaving two young children and a wife, Caroline, a friend who now chairs the Foundation.

I'm sure we all have friends and acquaintances who have lost partners young and who would have benefited from the structured support and assistance that WAY offers. 

Caroline says:

"A few months after Nick died I went to a WAY lunch near me. I was
terrified of walking into a room full of young widowed people, but it
was the first time I'd met anyone who understood how I felt – and what
I'd lost.

"Six years on I have lifelong friends made through WAY and our
children have grown up knowing they're not the only kids on the planet
to have lost their Dad. Their WAY friends have been really important.

"When you are widowed young, your friends are busy with lives full of
work, kids, holidays, relationships and so on. It can be a lonely
place. Having the support of other people who understand what it feels
like is very important.

"WAY needs your help supporting young men and women who have lost a
partner. With your help we can raise WAY's profile and do more for
thousands of people every year. WAY receives no government funding and
is entirely volunteer-led.

"Your donations will help us run our website, print promotional
materials and publicise the work we do. It costs money to train
volunteers who respond to newly-bereaved members. PLEASE sponsor Sean
now! Every penny we can raise for WAY will be greatly appreciated.

"WAY has been an absolute lifeline to me, which is why I am now
voluntary chair. I want to make sure it can offer a lifeline to so
many others whose lives have been shattered and I'd like to thank Sean
for remembering Nick, and choosing WAY as his charity.

"Good luck with the run, Sean!"
 

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.

So please dig deep and donate now.