It is said that exceptional claims require exceptional evidence, and that exceptional circumstances required exceptional action.  What I’m doing isn’t exceptional, but what Dementia UK do is.

I am not a natural runner. Some (many) of you will have gone ‘Rob, running?!’ or words to that effect.  That’s a fair response.  It’s the response I’d have given this time last year.  Things change.

Back in January my brother challenged me to run the Cardiff 10K with him, raising funds for two charities that have been, and continue to be, incredibly important to our family – Macmillan and Demenita UK.  He’s raising funds for one (Macmillian) and I’m doing the same for the other (Dementia UK).

(edit: now the Cheltenham 10K, as the Cardiff event was cancelled.  Same day, different location.)

Back in January I started training, having never ran as an adult.  Or, for that matter, as a child.

NHS couch-to-5K.  What an amazing program.  Along with some incredible support from some incredible people, it got me from where running for 30 seconds was hard work, to where running 5K was hard work.  I can now run 5K comfortably and am working my way to 10K.

9 months of training for a 10K event.  Not exceptional, but what Dementia UK and Macmillian do IS.