Photo Credit: Joe Nobile
Hundreds of fundraisers spent one of the hottest days of the year so far running for St Michael’s Hospice.
The Bartestree-based charity says it is likely that Sunday’s RUN Hereford has raised around £48,000.
This vital finding will go towards the palliative and end-of-life care provided by St Michael’s across Herefordshire and beyond.
Many of the 800 runners had a close connection to the charity and ran in memory of a loved one.
“St Michael’s cared for my sister, Jo, who died last year,” said Mark Radon, who completed the Half Marathon.
“The support the Hospice provided to her was just incredible. It would have been her 40thbirthday last month which makes taking part in RUN even more poignant to me.
“The Hospice has also been there for my friends and family, and continues to be so. I just can’t thank them enough.”
Mark is spending 2024 doing a run each month for St Michael’s – hoping to raise £10,000.
To make things even tougher, he has a weighted rucksack on his back each run.
Meanwhile, Trudi Hall marked her 40th birthday weekend by taking part in her first Half Marathon in memory of friend Rosie, who died at St Michael’s last year.
“Rosie was my inspiration throughout the run,” she said. “There were times where I was struggling, but thinking of Rosie, and what she faced, really spurred me on.”
One of the youngest runners was five-year-old Gracie, who loved taking part in the 5K together with her mum, Amy Evans, and other family members.
Among the more eye-catching fundraisers was Emma Cleal from Be More Frank – a fund of the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust, which provides grants to families of children with cancer.
Emma ran with the names of children Be More Frank has supported written across her body. Among them was Frank, her son who died in 2021 aged just 13, leading to Emma setting up Be More Frank. “It was a very, very hard run,” she said. “But I just wanted to do it for Frank.”
RUN Hereford was the first of a series of St Michael’s Hospice events taking place across the summer. The extended three-day Plant Fair begins at St Michael’s this Friday (17th), before Messy Runner returns on Saturday, 15th June. The Sue Parry Sports Festival and JamFest 2024 takes place on Saturday 29th June, before the Venus Midnight Walk on Friday 12th July.
More details at https://www.st-michaels-hospice.org.uk/how-you-can-help-us/fundraise-for-us/events/?_event_category=events-open-days
