This is the first and probably my only marathon I'll ever do. After going through the training so far I've now got a very special regard to anyone who's run this before. With a month left of training I've clocked up nearly 700km and I will be closer to 900km of training by the time the day comes.

Picking a charity to get me through the miserable mornings was important The Sick Children's Trust stood out for me. I'm a dad of two incredible healthy boys and a husband to an amazing wife and we're lucky to have never needed to ask for the help from the Trust but reading their webpage one morning brought me close to tears.

When a child suddenly becomes ill, there’s no time to plan. The Sick Children's Trust are here to give families one less thing to worry about by giving them a place to stay, free of charge just minutes from their child’s bedside. It now costs the Charity approximately £40 to support a family for one night, a small price to keep families together through times of despair. A sick child in a family impacts everyone in it.

I'm running this marathon with fathers and mothers, many of whom have benefitted from the Trust. Their stories of bravery, sadness , joy and most importantly the wonderful support given by the The Sick Children's Trust is simply amazing.

Thank you for reading this and for your generosity.