It’s children’s mental health week and we wanted to share that not only is our event supporting this cause, but our team does as well.
Marcin (Race Director) and Lizz (Events Manager) both have their personal running challenges whilst attempting them they have decided to fundraise on behalf of our partnering charities to support children’s mental health. Marcin, in three weeks’ time, is going to Gran Canaria to run in Trans Gran Canaria Classic while Lizz is preparing to run Race to the Castle at the end of May.
Marcin – I am an amateur runner and marathoner. I began running in 2012 and over the past few years I’ve completed multiple marathons around the world. In 2019 in Chicago, I managed to achieve my long-standing goal of running a sub-3 hrs marathon. In 2020 as part of the Northstowe Festival of Running, I ran an ultramarathon distance to raise funds for a local primary school. Read here >>
I like to challenge myself and raise the bar each time. Undoubtedly, I am in front of the biggest challenge so far; both physically and mentally. At the beginning of March, I will run a very hilly ultra marathon on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria; Trans Gran Canaria Classic 129 KM. Watch here.
It is a 129 km long race from the north across the island to the finish in Maspalomas, with almost 7000 m in positive elevation along the way and a limit of 30 hours to complete. Just to give some perspective, the total elevation it’s like going up and down Ben Navis, more than 5 times.
Running is my escape, it’s a place where I find peace and balance. The past two years were very hard for everyone, particularly for children and young adults. I hope that by doing what I love I can help others and make a positive impact, and by attempting this challenge I’d like to support a local charity; Centre 33 supports young people up to the age of 25 with their practical issues and emotional needs.
“I want to tell all other young people that there is help. I didn’t think there was anything for me but it has given me my life back. I don’t want other young people to go through what I did. I want them to know there is someone they can talk to and it can really help.” – Young person supported by Centre 33.
Thank you very much for your generosity in supporting my cause.
Lizz – I’ve been an on/off runner for the past 10 years and a regular runner for the last 5 of them – I love the sense of achievement it gives me; there are so many ways running can challenge me, without it having to be about speed or distance. I’m a run leader with my local club and my two favourite things are seeing new runners complete things they didn’t believe possible and inventing fun running challenges. My personal favourite thing to do whilst running is explore and see new places; I like not knowing where I’m going and what I really want is a bit of an adventure!
At the end of May, I will be taking part in Race to the Castle – a 100km ultra marathon following the ancient St Oswald’s Way in Northumberland – ending at Bamburgh Castle. Some people attempt the whole 100km in one go, but I’ll be camping overnight at 55km before completing the route. I’m really looking forward to the challenge and the scenery – a bit of a change from the flat landscapes of Cambridgeshire! I have my fingers crossed for good weather – the last time the event was held the participants on Day 1 were soaked and freezing and those on Day 2 got sunburn.
It’s also an opportunity to raise some much needed funds for a local charity. Working in a primary school and having children of my own really makes you aware of the importance of young people’s mental health and wellbeing and the challenges facing children today (I feel grateful to have grown up without the constant input from electronic devices and social media – we didn’t even have a video player or a microwave at home!) so I’m raising funds for Blue Smile. In addition to working one-to-one with children in schools, Blue Smile also work with schools, teachers, parents and carers to help provide early intervention to children and prevent them from becoming one of the 50% of adults whose mental health problems had already emerged at just 14 years old.
If you are able to make a donation through my GoFundMe page, thank you, I’m grateful for your support.
One way to support children and young adults’ mental health and wellbeing is to run in Northstowe Half Marathon & Fulscope 5K.
All profit from Fullscope 5K will be donated to Fullscope, a consortium of seven amazing charities: Arts and Minds, Blue Smile, Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination, Centre 33, CPSL Mind, The Kite Trust and YMCA Trinity supporting young people every day.
All participants can also choose to raise more funds on behalf of Blue Smile or Centre 33 by setting up their personal fundraisers on the Race Roster platform.
Thank you for your support.