Iam running for my dad who , is fighting Alzheimer’s , my dad just turned 86 , when he was diagnosed it was very upsetting but threw education and the wonderful people that help us and my amazing sister brother in law he is doing ok , and still has is sense of humour . But also my mum who looks after him day to today is wonderful and the love she shows is unwavering so thank you all for your support

My dad was diagnosed with Mixed dementia this year. He has been steadily deteriorating for the last few years and now to finally get a diagnosis and be able to get him on medication is massive. I can only hope the suppress the symptoms of this vile disease. The society have already provided us with so much information and I’m sure will continue to do this throughout my dads journey and that’s my reason why

My dad, Paul, was the kind of dad who was always there.

When I played rugby, he travelled all over the country to watch me. I can’t remember him ever missing a game. At the time, I probably didn’t realise quite how much that meant.

When I was 16, Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. By the time I was 18, he barely recognised me. I lost him when I was 22.

Alzheimer’s didn’t just take my dad when he died. It took him from us bit by bit, far too early.

There are so many things I wish I’d had the chance to share with him. I wish he could have seen the person I became. Met the people in my life now. I wish I could ask him for advice, have a pint with him, or just hear his voice again.

So when I run the Royal Parks Half Marathon for Alzheimer’s Society, this isn’t really about the time I finish in or how much it hurts.

I’ll be running with the music Dad loved in my ears, thinking about all those miles he travelled for me.

This time, the miles are for him.

My story is already on the story wall from last year. One year later I am doing the same solo walk and have already passed my funding target. My pain remains but I am trying to do my best with whatever time I have left in honour of my beloved wife Lin. Alan .

In 2023 I ran the London Marathon after recieving a ballot place. I decided to fundraise for Alzheimer's Society even with the ballot place, with my mum cheering me on from the crowd on the day.
She was a keen runner herself, and no one was prouder of me that day; this year, I'm running it again, but this time in her memory. We lost Mum in August aged just 69, and every mile will be a celebration of her. She was diagnosed age 62, she was so young but packed her life with adventures, laughter and love.

I completed the Belfast memory walk in memory of my dad, Alan Cardy. Also to other folk who are suffering with alzheimer's.

I'm running for my Aunt, Janet Robinson and my Mum, Ann Maynard. They were teens of the 60's, embracing all life had to offer, seeing the Beatles in Buxton in 1963 and going to dances in iconic venues like The Blackpool Tower ballroom. They married, had families and devoted their lives to looking after them, raising 4 children between them.

Even though they ended up living 200 miles away from each other, they were a close pair of sisters, talking weekly and seeing each other as often as they could, something that got harder as they got older.

In 2024, we lost Janet to Alzhiemers. Last year, we lost my Mum to a dementia related illness. Seeing their rapid decline from dementia was awful. Seeing someone so full of life lose themselves is heartbreaking.

After losing Mum, I decided that I wanted to do something to help. If I can help raise some money that will help with research that stops another family at some point in the future going through what we went through., then that HAS to be a positive. With this in mind, I've accepted a charity place from Alzhiemer's Society to run the Cardiff Half Marathon in 2026.

Training was going well until about 3 weeks ago when I strained a thigh muscle. Lots of physio later, I'm just about running again, but any thoughts of Personal Bests have been replaced by 'Just get through it'...

If you see me, give me a wave. I need all the support I can get on this one - I think it's going to sting a bit!

https://cardiffhalf26.enthuse.com/pf/ian-maynard

I’m running the Cardiff Half Marathon for the Alzheimer’s Society in memory of my granddad, who bravely battled Alzheimer’s for almost 20 years before passing away last November.

As I approach the first anniversary of his passing, this feels like a meaningful way to honour his life and everything he meant to me. By taking on this challenge, I hope to raise awareness, raise vital funds, and help support the search for better treatments and, one day, a cure.

This one’s for you, Grandad. ❤️