Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As the page suggests, I am running 12 Marathons in 12 months to raise money and awareness for Charlie House and the great work they do.

If you are visiting this page then you have likely met me and either met, or heard about, my gorgeous nephew, Matthew, or MJ as he is more affectionately known.  MJ was born on 22 November 2011 and, around 6 months later, was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy.  MJ also has dystonia and epilepsy.  All of this means MJ cannot walk or talk and doesn't get to enjoy the same independence that so many of us can easily take for granted every day.  Despite all of that MJ is such a happy boy who warms the hearts of everyone he meets and just wants to have fun and a giggle like any other 10 year old boy.

Since MJ was born, I have been so inspired by his resilience and ability to keep smiling and have become increasingly grateful of my own freedom to move... and to run (or plod it may be more accurate to say).  

Charlie House provides specialist support to children and young people with complex disabilities and life-limiting conditions, and their families, in the North-East of Scotland and has been an incredible support to my sister and brother-in-law as they have navigated life as parents of a child with complex needs and their journey as MJ grows up and his needs continue to change.  I want to raise awareness and money for Charlie House so they can continue to provide this support for families who need it.

So, inspired by my nephew, and in honour of his first decade, I am going to lace-up my trainers and run (or walk or crawl) one marathon a month, over 12 months, before he turns 11.  At the time of writing I have completed 2 of 12. 

To put this into context some more... before starting this challenge I had run 5 marathons between September 2015 - April 2021.  I am now planning to do ~2.4x my previous lifetime total over 1/6 of the time frame.  Most of them will be done from my doorstep in Aberdeen (though I have also signed up for some organised ones, first up is Manchester on 3 April) ... there will be (welcomed) stops at traffic lights and to cross roads etc. and no personal records are expected to be broken! 

The dates of my completed and planned marathons, as at 6 February 2022, are below.  If anyone reading would like to join me for any one of them (or part of any one of them) or more then please let me know.  I'd love the company!

Otherwise, if you would like to donate to Charlie House through my page it would really mean so much to me.

31 December 2021 (Moving time: 3:56:46)
25 January 2022 (Moving time: 3:59:56)
12 February 2022 (Moving time: 3:57:21)
6 March 2022 (Moving time: 3:56:21)
16 April 2022 (Moving time: 3:54:29)
29 May 2022 (Moving time: 3:54:01)
26 June 2022 (Moving time: 3:56:13)
17 July 2022 (Moving time: 3:56:16)
20 August 2022 (Braemar - Aviemore via the Lhairig Ghru)
10 September 2022
2 October 2022 (Loch Ness Marathon!)
20 November 2022

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