Perse pupil to take on home half marathon to raise funds for NHS

15 Apr 2020

Harry Turner (Year 11) is embarking on a half marathon at home to raise funds for the NHS in support of their battle against Covid-19.

He plans to run the 21-kilometre distance in his garden on Tuesday (21 April), needing to complete 422 figure-of-eight circuits as he bids to help NHS charities in their response to the coronavirus crisis.

Having been a volunteer at Stevenage’s Lister Hospital prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Harry said he was inspired to take on the challenge to boost NHS causes.

He said: “Having seen first-hand the amazing work the NHS staff do on a day-to-day basis, I really wanted to give back to them at a time when they need it most and this seemed an ideal way to do this. It’s also in recognition of the bravery of every single doctor, nurse and health worker putting themselves at risk to help others.”

Despite admitting he is not a keen runner, Harry is looking forward to taking on this gruelling test.

“I’ve turned to running as a way of keeping fit during the lockdown and I’ve always enjoyed a challenge,” he said. “I decided to do a half marathon because it seemed like something I would be able to achieve in the limited training time I had.

“In terms of training, I’m going for a run every day and trying to gradually increase the distance to get up to the 21 kilometres in a half marathon. Although I’m not going for any kind of record on the day, around two hours or perhaps just over would be a respectable time to finish in.

“I think even though the route may get a bit monotonous, I’ll always have the motivation of the charity I’m running for to help me complete it.”

Harry has already raised just over £400 towards his appeal and hopes he can reach his goal of £500.

He said: “The response, mostly from friends and family, has been brilliant and hopefully I can keep it going to push on to the target.”

To help Harry in his fundraising effort, click here.