You may be wondering why I would want to put myself through 26.2 painful miles - and I expect I will be asking myself this many times through training and the big day itself... However this is all in aid of a rather inspiring and exciting charity - Raleigh International.

Raleigh International is a registered charity working to help local communities in countries such as Borneo, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Tanzania. Raleigh has two main aspects to its ethos;

(1) to help implement community-led sustainable development projects to improve the community's quality of life for year to come i.e. work with locals to create a project that they want and learn how to use and can be continued year on year

(2) to inspire and empower young adults from across the globe to learn more about their surroundings, different cultures and develop their own skills and personalities to make them active global citizens!

WHY RALEIGH?

(1) In September 2014 I will be going to Borneo as a Project Manager and Medic to the expedition!

(2) I believe strongly in the ability of raleigh's work alongside local communities to genuinely have a mutli-faceted benefit to the community that can continue beyond when Raleigh International are actually present on site.

(3) I have been fortunate enough in the past to do similar projects as part of a university based charity and now I wanted to be involved in facilitating these kinds of opportunities for other young adults. The young adults that come on Raleigh are from across the globe, some from the host country itself, many just leaving school/college and about to go to university and many others having been referred to Raleigh through social services or youth development schemes.

WHERE DOES YOUR DONATION GO?

- Firstly it will help me hugely along the long, arduous path of marathon training and (hopefully!) completing it on the day! To know that you have donated precious pennies/pounds to this cause, will mean I have no option but to continue in the face of blisters and sore joints/muscles!

- Secondly, every penny you donate goes towards supporting Raleigh International's work in Borneo/Tanzania/Costa Rica/Nicaragua and to their work with socially excluded and 'at risk' young people.

***Any donation, NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL, would be HUGELY appreciated! THANK YOU! ***