Last year I was due to run the Edinburgh Marathon, but as with most things in 2020, that didn't quite work out. 

When signing up for Edinburgh I hadn't planned on raising money for a charity, but having seen the impact that cancellations of these events has had on charities, I decided to put 2021 to good use.

Facing another year with few or no races to run, I committed to running one half marathon a week for Mind. However, after a few weeks I decided this wasn't enough of a challenge. A real challenge would be getting out of bed and getting a half marathon in before a day in the virtual office a few times. 

So naturally I rounded 52 up to 100. At the time of writing (July), I'm 57 half marathons into the challenge. 

I'm aiming to raise £1 for every mile I run as part of this challenge.

Mind is a charity close to my heart. I have family members who struggle with depression and have seen how difficult poor mental health can make life even when loved ones are close. The news has concentrated a lot on the physical side of COVID-19, but there have been people suffering in silence in times of isolation:

• Around a third of adults surveyed by Mind have said their mental health has got much worse since March 2020.
• Those who struggled before the pandemic struggle more now.
• Coronavirus has heightened inequality and the connection between poverty and mental health.