This is personal : I lost my Grandfather to my Alzheimer's and can now see the devastation of dementia with my "Wicked Uncle Willie" who is being cared for in a home.

My Uncle William Ross does not have an evil bone in his body however he does have a Wicked laugh and sense of humour, although we can now only now see dim flickers of this Joie de Vivre as WuW ("Wicked Uncle Willie") would say.

Whilst my Uncle Bill is still alive, at least I can let him know how inspirational he is and how his struggle is driving me to lace up again for another Marathon.

I dont just want to raise money but also awareness too, on the benefits of exercise and how it can reduce your chances of Alzhiemer's.

I just want to remove suffering !

I'm running the Manchester Marathon in memory of my mom who we lost last year. Mom had a rare form of dementia, Aphasia which meant she first lost her speech and then lost all forms of communication. She battled for 8 years and it finally took her from her us last May. She was an amazing Mom & Nan and I miss her every day

My beautiful mum Sandra has battled with brain injuries for the last 31 years.

The photo of me and my mum was taken after she had already suffered a brain hemorhage and further stroke by the age of 47, this was the start of our journey along a different path.

Fast forward to 2025 and we are still here but for a number of years my mum has been facing a different kind of battle having received a Vascular Dementia diagnosis 7 years ago, breast cancer last year and this year losing the use of her legs.

Not once has my mum ever complained, she has always found the good and beauty in everything and always says she is grateful to be here.

The challenge!

My mum has lived at home with me and my family for the last 5 and a half years, the care and watching someone you love have to navigate this cruel disease has been tough.

Last year I took up running and found it helped me to cope, stepping out and putting one foot in front of the other has given me head space and helped with my mental health, which helps me continue to care for my mum.

So what have I gone and done? Sign up for a marathon.

This time last year I had not yet run my first 10k but now I am running the Adidas Manchester Marathon in April 2026 and I am running for Alzheimer's Society.

This will be a huge challenge on this injured, menopausal body of mine, even saying the words "I am going to run a marathon" sounds ludicrous but I am determined!

I don't have a time in mind, just getting round will be a feat of engineering in itself, but I plan to run it, all 26.2 miles of it!

The Alzheimer's Society have helped me no end when I have not known where to turn, the Admiral Nurses have been lifesavers offering me practical and emotional support and given me the tools to get through this dementia journey with my mum and I want to give something back.

Sadly my mum died from dementia last week and won’t get to wear my finishers medal, so I will be running with Sandra in my heart all the way and I will be running for everyone who has been affected by dementia in their lives.

For Sandra 💙

I’m running the Manchester marathon for my mum who is living with Alzheimer’s. My sisters running as well, we want to do something special, support an amazing charity and support my dad who’s caring for mum and of course for mum as well.

In 2019, my gran was diagnosed with dementia. At the time I was only 11 and I didn’t really know what it was. On my 13th birthday I decided I wanted to start fundraising for charities, I started with charities around my local area and then went on to start fundraising for every single charity that looks after dementia patients. I became very well known for this and that’s why I now have a campaign called Team Eva. I am so honoured to be given a place in the Manchester Marathon and I can’t wait to run it. And I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has supported me and sponsored me. Thank you so much

I’m running the London Landmarks Half Marathon to support a great charity, that's helping to support people living with Alzheimer’s as well as their loved ones. My dad was diagnosed a couple of years ago and I’ll do all I can to help beat dementia!

Running the London landmarks half marathon to support a wonderful charity, that’s helped our family understand what my wonderful Nan is going through. It’s a strange experience for everyone, but if our family are able to ease the struggles of Alzheimer's for the woman who’s helped shape who we are, we’ll gladly do whatever it takes. Love you Nan!! Xx

Sadly I’ve watched two incredible woman suffer through this awful disease, my granny June and Granny Olive. Both brave and kind ladies who helped shape my life today, I’ll be thinking of them while I run 42.3km🤍

I’m running the Brighton marathon for my Mum, and for my Dad. Dad has a “Dementia with Lewy Bodies” diagnosis and mum has become his full time carer. It is not easy but their love and commitment to each other is inspiring. I want a world where no family has to deal with this horrible diagnosis x