Hannah is running the London Marathon to fundraise for Inspire North

Hannah is running the London Marathon to fundraise for Inspire North

Hannah from Leeds is raising money for the Inspire North Group by taking on the London Marathon this April!

Hannah aims to raise awareness of the services and support that the group offers and to encourage anyone needing support to take that step and reach out.

Read on to hear what inspired Hannah to take on this incredible challenge and why she has chosen to raise money for Inspire North.

What has inspired you to run the London Marathon?

I’ve never ran a marathon so it’s a personal challenge for me. I only really started getting into running about 2 years ago. My main reason for running was to help to clear my head, if things feel overwhelming, I know I can go out on a run and hopefully feel better after it. I mainly run for my mental health and in turn I’ve become healthier overall.

I would have never classed myself as someone athletic or sporty when I was younger – I think I put labels on myself too much, such as ‘I could never run a marathon’ – but recently I’ve been questioning why we say things like this – why can’t I run a marathon, who says so?

So, it’s really just proving to myself that we are all stronger than we think, and we can all do hard things. We don’t have to fit into the box people may put us in, or that we put ourselves in. (I don’t know if I’ll ever run a marathon again though, the training is hard!)

Why do you want to raise money for the Inspire North Group?

I think the Inspire North Group, including, Community Links and Foundation are providing services that are so desperately needed, as there are so many vulnerable people out there who need what these charities offer.

I think what the Inspire North group does is great, I want to be able to show my appreciation through this small gesture. I’m really passionate about people having access to support, and everyone deserving a helping hand when things get tough.

Mental health is so important and is something I’ve struggled with personally too. I’m very lucky that I had the support I needed when I needed it, but I’m aware that not everyone does have that, and that there is a huge strain on these services.

If me running a marathon means even one person learns about these charities or reaches out to get help, then that’s a small step in the right direction, and worth it.

To support Hannah as she takes on the London Marathon, you can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/hannah-mcnally

Thank you for your support!