I had a decent career in high school tennis, followed by two decades of no sport whatsoever. Then, like so many others, the lockdowns somehow made me a runner. Initially I hated it, but I found it helped me sleep better when we were otherwise kept in our homes with limited scope for activity for 23 hours per day. I would not go so far as to say I learned to love running itself, but the overall benefits and sense of achievement makes it feel worthwhile. Races are truly great fun with a fantastic atmosphere and sense of collective involvement, and they really help with general motivation to keep training (which is often a slog). I completed two half marathons in Edinburgh and Glasgow in 2022, and this will be my first shot at the full distance. 

I loved the idea for a group of us at Alliance to run this race together. It is a proper team effort to raise a substantial sum for a charity that is a crucial source of support to the hospitality sector, and we want to make a big difference. If you want to read more about what the Drinks Trust does, you can find information here:

https://www.drinkstrust.org.uk

This process already has me in awe of anyone who has completed a full marathon - it's a massive challenge! Distance runs take up most of the weekend and drinks with friends are few and far between as the training is already tough enough without feeling ropey from a night out. Goodbye as well to nice looking hair (salt, sweat, daily washing - all bad for condition) and RIP to a couple of toenails. That's before we get to all the wear and tear on muscles and joints, and this is very boring so I promise not to go on about it unless you ask. Please consider making a donation if you are in a position to do so, it will really help motivate me keep going when it gets very tough, which it often is. It's entirely possible that I have just one full marathon in me, so all the more reason to make it count!