In 2019 I ran The London Marathon (my second marathon ever).  I then naively (stupidly) decided it would be a good idea to run all six of The Abbott World Marathon Majors; London, New York, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, Tokyo.  I ran London and New York in 2019 and was supposed to run Boston in April 2020 but a worldwide pandemic had other ideas.  I've trained for Boston now three (possibly four) times and had to requalify twice.  I managed to run Berlin in 2021 and next up is Boston on 18 April 2022 followed by Chicago in October 2022 and then, fingers crossed, Tokyo in 2023.  I am running for a small local charity, NACOA, which is a charity close to my heart.  The smaller charities have really struggled over the last two years so I have decided to ask for sponsorship for my marathons to support NACOA.  I am funding the travel and entry fees myself so all contributions go to the charity.

Boston is up next and the oldest annual marathon in the world.  It usually takes place on Patriot's Day, the third Monday of April.  It is considered to be one of the most difficult races of the Majors to get into because you have to time qualify - no luck of the draw entry with Boston, and a BQ  (Boston Qualifying) Time is much sought after.  This has posed controversial during the Covid years where the race was repeatedly cancelled and the runners had to re-qualify for the next race.  I can't wait to travel to Boston and experience the USA exuberance for their favourite marathon.

Nacoa (The National Association for Children of Alcoholics) is a Bristol based charity founded in 1990 to provide help and support for everyone affected by a parent’s drinking. We believe that every child has the right to a happy childhood and to live a creative and meaningful life but when drink is the family secret they are more likely to experience family violence, neglect and other problems in their own homes.