A March Athletic Club member has completed her 12th half marathon in 12 months, raising nearly £700 for charity.
Sue Ward crossed the finish line on December 19 along with other members of the club who had took to the streets in the cold and foggy conditions to help her finish her challenge.
They were cheered on around the 13.1-mile route by other club members.
Sue has run a half marathon during every month of 2021 in support of the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) charity Flutterby Fundraisers and has raised £670 whilst doing so.
Flutterby Fundraisers works with communities across the UK to raise awareness and fund research for the condition.
Sue sadly lost her son Mikey to the life-limiting condition 10 years ago and feels passionately about helping others to benefit from the ongoing research into new treatments.
“If you’re a runner, you may have some insight into what living with CF is like,” said Sue.
“Remember that race you did, when you gave it everything you had, when you reached the finish line and couldn’t get enough air into your lungs.
“You were gasping for breath and someone gave you a bottle of water which you couldn’t possibly drink.
“That is what it’s like for those living with CF 24 hours a day.”
Sue has run her half marathons through the year in the company of three to four other club runners at a time.
For her 12th and final one, she was joined over the course of the route by around 30 club members.
A spokesperson said: “The conditions on the day certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of the runners.
“The route was formed of three loops, each loop starting and finishing at the club’s Elm Road clubhouse.
“Some members opted to act as cycle support along the route, with Harry Littlemore and Diane Brown cycling the entire route.
“Martyn Haynes reached the milestone of completing his first ever half marathon distance by completing all three loops with Sue.”
After the race, finishers were met at the clubhouse with mulled wine, bacon rolls, mince pies and cake.
If anyone would like to donate to Flutterby Fundraisers to help with research into Cystic Fibrosis treatments, click here.
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