Every six seconds, Samaritans answer a call for help.

They are there, day or night, for anyone who’s struggling to cope and who needs someone to listen without judgement or pressure.

I think that's an amazing thing - but it's something that needs our support to continue. 

Why am I doing this?

I've been supporting Samaritans for the last three years and am still awed by the organisation and the service it offers. Staffed almost entirely by volunteers, Samaritans ensures there's always someone there, to listen and really hear you, whether that's over the phone, in person, or by email, text or even letter. They answer over 5 million calls for help every year.

But offering a 24/7 service is expensive and individual donations are Samaritans biggest source of funding. I therefore wanted to take on a new challenge to help Samaritans raise those all important funds, so they can maintain and expand this amazing service.

Until I'd signed up for this, the longest race I'd done was a 10k, so it's fair to say 42.2km is a daunting challenge. It's only in the last year or two that I've really run at all - if you'd told me three years ago I'd be doing this I don't think I would've believed you. But I want to push myself in aid of an organisation I really, truly believe in. 

So please, if you can, support me and far more importantly, support Samaritans and the service they provide. 

If you need someone to talk to, Samaritans are there for you too. Just call 116 123 (free in the UK), email jo@samaritans.org or go into your local branch. You can find more information here:  www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.