Hello everyone!

We are a group of 7 old school friends (with about 488 years of friendship between us!) who have decided to take on the Leeds Half Marathon on the 12th May for Genetic Alliance UK.

For a couple of us this is the first time we'll ever have done anything like this, we are definitely not runners so we are stepping outside our comfort zone!

But it is all for an incredible cause that is close to our hearts, as Meg's gorgeous daughter Maggie was born in 2022 with a genetic condition which is still undiagnosed. She has had a whole genome sequencing testing completed due to lack of answers though basic tests. Due to the lack of resources and knowledge in this area in the NHS, we have been told the test will take 2 years to return from the lab, leaving us in a position of not knowing what the best care is for Maggie at this time.

Genetic Alliance UK have been so supportive throughout. They support families through the difficult process of not having a diagnosis, as well as providing support networks and opportunities to speak with other families who are going through the same thing, which has been so invaluable.

They do vital work making sure families get the required care they deserve, by championing timely diagnosis and better care for people living with genetic and rare conditions.

We're so excited to be taking on this challenge together and have been encouraging each other on through the cold and dark winter training, with a bit of friendly competition! Anything you can donate will definitely spur us on, but most importantly it will be going towards making sure families in the future get the care and support they deserve.

Thank you!