I'm Shona Thomson, 10-time marathoner but Clarendon Way will be my first cross-country race. I will be running the half (and hopefully the full next year!)
I decided to run to raise funds for Alzheimer's Research UK, in honour of my Mum, Dorothy, who passed away in July this year, and also my Dad, who has recently been diagnosed.
The course passes very close to my family home in Winchester, where I grew up and where my parents lived for 35 years. The Clarendon Way was one of my parents' favourite walking trails.
I have lived overseas for the past 15 years, but on visits home I would often join Mum and Dad on their walks and I still run up to the monument whenever I am back. I am currently living in Mozambique, where the only surfaces to train on are road and sand – not great preparation for the English mud!
Alzheimer’s Research UK is the world’s leading dementia research charity dedicated to causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and cure. Backed by passionate scientists and supporters, the organisation works to challenge the way people think about dementia, unite the big thinkers in the field and fund innovative scientific research that will hopefully deliver a cure to this terrible disease.
If you would like to support this cause, any donations are very welcome. Here is the link: