Last year I ran my first half marathon and raised money for the wonderful Stroud based Charity, The Door. Not only did running the half marathon give me the most incredible feeling of pride and achievement, raising money for charity and exceeding my goal was what made the whole experience very, very special. 

So what's next?

This year I have set myself the goal of running FIVE half marathons in 2025! And I'm thrilled to say the charity I have chosen to raise money for is the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity. 

I had the privilege of visiting their site last year after the company I work for, Pathfinder Railtours, raised £1600 pounds for them through a series of our Excursions we ran through the first half of 2024. I was so struck by what the team at GWAAC do on a daily basis and the enormity of their job stuck with me for a long time after we left. 

The Critical Care team provide emergency, specialist and life- saving care for people across Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and parts of Wiltshire. I was so shocked when I found out that they are entirely charity funded and donations and support are imperative to keep GWAAC in the air and to keep doing what they do. 

Now to the races... my first half marathon is the Gloucester Half Marathon on Sunday 30th March, and I couldn't be more thrilled to be kicking off this challenge with a local event. I'll be updating this page with more races, as I sign up to them over the course of the year. I'll definitely be finishing off with the Stroud Half Marathon on Sunday 26th October, where I really hope to have achieved my goal of raising £2000 for GWAAC.

This year I want to challenge myself physically and mentally but most importantly these half marathons aren't just for personal achievement, I want to raise awareness and donations for this incredible charity. I'd be so grateful for any support you are able to share towards helping me reach my goal.

Many thanks,

Al x

''Without you, we couldn't do it. It’s your support that allows us to keep the air ambulance going, so our team can keep saving lives.'' -Great Western Air Ambulance Charity