Like nearly everyone, my 2020 plans were pretty well wrecked by Covid19. I'm still hoping to cram in a couple of big challenges, though. I'll be chasing a 31 year old Pennine Way record and giving another attempt at my Grand Round project, barely a month apart. The Pennine Way involves running around 260 miles up through the middle of England in under 65 hours and 20 minutes (a record that has stood for three decades). The Grand Round requires about 185 miles of running with 84K feet of elevation gain over 113 summits, plus over 400 miles of biking. For more details on my plans, see my blog post.

I’ve always had a huge passion for kids, particularly those who have the cards stacked against them just by where, when, and how they happen to enter the world. I’ve been working with kids since I was one myself in high school, and I’m now soon to be a father of four. I’ve had the enormous fortune of always knowing that my kids were going to come into a situation where I could provide for them, financially, educationally, and emotionally. But with that fortune comes the disheartening knowledge that that’s pure luck for them while others get written off and have an uphill battle, whether due to their home situation or due to the system being biased. Life might not be fair, but giving people a fair start is something we should all aspire to, and that I hope any runner can relate to.

The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust was founded to tackle inequality in all forms. We're dedicated to transforming the life chances of young people and improving the world in which they live. We support young people from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds to inspire and enable them to succeed in the career of their choice. We support community groups to develop new skills and play an active role in building stronger communities. And we help organisations to create a more inclusive culture in order to achieve lasting social impact.

Cover photo: Steve Ashworth