Welcome to the WILL TO RUN website
Thank you for visiting our website. This is our chance to tell the world how daft we all are for agreeing to run the St Albans Half-Marathon on Sunday 14th June - thanks for the great suggestion Bec!!
Joking aside, all the groin starins, tendonitis in the ankles, knee injuries etc were worth it knowing that we helped to raise money for an extremely worthy cause (actual injuries I must add - this running malarkey is a risky business!!). All proceeds have been donated to the Luton and Dunstable Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, who lovingly cared for baby Will when he was born prematurely in September 2008. Further details about this worthy cause can be found at the bottom of the page.
Thanks to Will for providing us with the inspiration for our team name, and for giving us the desire to do this event in the first place.
The run
St Albans Half-Marathon (13.1 miles!!!) on Sunday 14th June 2009 at 10:00am
WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The evidence
Below are some snaps of the day...
The runners
Below are the very cheesy grins of the WILL TO RUN team members:
WILL TO RUN team members:
Bec Horton; Kiley Dixon (Boysie); John Wilkinson (Briggsy); Charlotte Weatherill; Cherie Thorn; Dave Horton; Evelyn Ingram; Gareth Kaylan; Mark Mccullough (Gutsy); Jason Torbett; Jennie Wilkinson; Jo Watt; Michi Dockree; and Susan Hunter.
Training progress
We did a 10K...YAY!!!
What better way to spend Bank Holiday Monday than running a 10k Fun Run in Watford eh?!! Yeah, that's what we thought. Gone are the days of all-night partying! Self-restraint and serious running preparation is the way forward... for some, anyhow. Ahem.
Musn't forget massive congratulations to Ev for winning 8th fastest female!!!!!!! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!! Only kidding... Unfortunately Ev had to pull out at the last minute, due to injury (get well soon Evvie!!), and was replaced by a friend of the WILL TO RUN team 'Phil Rockminster' who manged a super time of 45 minutes and 13 seconds. Well done Phil, or should that be Phillipa!?! Hehe.
Below are a few piccies of our fun day out...
The charity
Although the offical Charity associated with the run is the British Heart Foundation, the event organisers have kindly agreed to let us run for our own choice of Charity, as follows:
Luton and Dunstable Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
One in ten babies require special care when they are born. The L&D NICU treats over 500 babies a year from across Beds, Herts & Bucks. They also take babies from further afield if they require specialist Intensive Care and there aren't any cots available closer. The existing Unit has space for 20 cots but manages to squeeze 29 in. Obviously this isnt ideal for the babies and it makes treating them more difficult for the staff. Despite the extra cots the Unit still has to turn away 20 requests for cots each month as NICU is completely full.
The new Unit will have space for 46 cots which will mean that more babies can be treated each month, less (ideally no) babies will have to be turned away and more tiny lives will be saved each year. They will also make space for essential parent accommodation where parents can be supported in learning how to care for their baby before taking them home. The NHS have given £7 million to build the new NICU, we need to raise £1.5 million to buy the extra equipment needed for the new cots. This may sound like a huge amount of money for such small things but an average NICU cot with all the necessary equipment costs nearly £100,000!
Please click on the 'Donate here' button (above) to make a donation.
Thank yous
Message from Dave and Bec
"Where do we start....... We are so proud of all The Will to Run team who without we would never have managed to raise the money for this deserving cause. We would also like to thank everyone for your generous sponsorship. We have been overwhelmed by your kindness. Love to you all Mr and Mrs H xx"
Message from the Hospital
"On behalf of all the babies, parents and staff here at the L&D NICU id like to say a HUGE congratulations and thank you to everyone from team Will to Run and to everyone who sponsored them so generously. We are extremely grateful for your support and for embarking upon such a massive challenge- both with the half marathon and the team's fundraising target! I hope all your aches and pains have now gone and the only thing you are left feeling is pride at your fantastic achievement. Thank you! Sarah Newby, Fundraising Manager at the Luton & Dunstable Hospital"
Thank you for visiting our site!
Many thanks from the WILL TO RUN team x