RUNNING IN MEMORY OF NANA: CAROLYN’S MARATHON ACHIEVEMENT FOR THE CHRISTIE CHARITY

A member of Harris Lamb’s Professional team has raised more than £1,000 for a cancer research charity having completed the Manchester Marathon in less than four-and-a-half hours.

Carolyn Quinn, an Associate working within the business’ Lease Advisory department, began training for last Sunday’s (April 14) event on Boxing Day. 

Running in memory of her Nana, Janet Peake, who sadly lost her battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma on the 5th January 2003 aged 73, Carolyn pledged to complete the challenge in aid of The Christie Charity, which raises money for a wide range of projects and initiatives within The Christie hospital, where Janet was treated during her illness.

Carolyn said: “Following my Nana’s diagnosis, she underwent a number of treatments at The Christie, including being part of one of the many pioneering trials which have been funded by the trust over the years. The charity is committed to continuing to further cancer treatment and improve the prognosis for many of those who have been diagnosed, and I wanted to help raise awareness and funds for them to help them achieve their aims.

“The Christie Charity oversees a diverse range of research and support projects, from funding research into rare cancers, building state-of-the-art research facilities and striving to diagnose Ewing Sarcoma more quickly for young cancer patients to funding wig-fitting and complementary therapies – all of which are essential for the welfare and future treatment of patients and require a great deal of support from the public.

“Having started my 16-week training programme on Boxing Day, I have been running four days a week ever since, racking up a total of just over 440 miles in that time. This is the first (and may well be the only) Marathon I’ve ever undertaken. My longest distance prior to this was a Half Marathon  – completing Cheltenham Half last summer – and having finished that I was wondering what I’d signed myself up for knowing that would only be halfway! 

“I set myself a goal of under 4.5 hours and managed to secure an official chip time of 4:26:24 (Strava showing 4:23:20 given I ran an extra 0.45km – if you know you know!) – and having picked up a minor hip injury the weekend before, I am delighted with that!” she added.

To date, Carolyn has raised £1,198, and people are still pledging their support for the cause at her JustGiving page.

To find out more about the charity and its work, visit the website here.