On 17 May 2019, Alena lost her fight against breast cancer, aged just 44. Exactly one year on, her husband Stu and a group of friends had planned to run Hackney half to celebrate her life and raise money. This was for Macmillan, a charity who supported Alena, Stu and Alena's son during her illness. Covid then unfortunately got in our way. I ran a solo half from Hammersmith to Richmond on 17 May 2020 to recognise the sponsorship received so far. 16 months on, we are now delighted to be able to run Hackney half as planned. This is the first half marathon in seven years for my friend Carole and I. Its going to be tough for us: please give what you can to support Macmillan's work. Their blurb is below.

Macmillan Cancer Support is here to help everyone with cancer live life as fully as they can, providing physical, financial and emotional support. So whatever cancer throws your way, we’re right right there with you.Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them 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.