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James is running the Dublin Marathon for Mental Health UK

By James Harper Join Me

Help me reach my goal of £1,350

My Activity Tracking

208
mi

Join the Movement: Fundraising for Mental Health UK

Why Choose Mental Health UK?
Mental Health UK is dedicated to providing essential support and resources to individuals and families affected by mental health challenges. With a focus on collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity, they are at the forefront of driving positive change within the mental health landscape.

Together, we can make a difference. Join us in fundraising for Mental Health UK and be a catalyst for change in the fight for mental wellness. Every donation, no matter how big or small, brings us one step closer to a world where mental health is treated with the same importance as physical health. Let's turn awareness into action and create a brighter future for all.

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

£432 + £47 GiftAid

My Goal

£1,350

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My Achievements

Fundraising page

Shared Page

Sent Email

Thanked Donor

Created a Team

Raised £100

Percentage of Fundraising Target (50%)

Self Donated

50% of Distance Travelled

Reached Distance Goal

Number of Fitness Activities

Updated Profile Pic

Added a Blog Post

Has 5 Gallery Images

Reached Goal

Increased Target

My Updates

Trust the process

Monday 7th Jul
Now that I've written that title, I feel like I'm coming across as some cringey fitness guru. The reality is, despite my A-level PE certificate, I really know relatively little about training. I'm putting faith in online training plans and qualified physiotherapists to guide me.

Part of the process I am undertaking in recovering from an injury is to understand my body better. I am learning where my weaknesses are and trying to improve them. One particularly damning session with the physio taught me that, despite the years of running, I actually have quite weak legs - hips, glutes, hamstrings... the reponse, naturally, is to get stronger and the results are beginning to show.

On Saturday I ran a ParkRun for the first time in while. Princes Park in Liverpool is known to be one of the tougher courses and, to be honest, I wasn't going there for anything other than a fun, relaxed run. I ended up running a personal best time. I absolutely attribute that to having stronger legs and also paying more attention to my posture and stride. Small adjustments have enabled me to run faster with minimal additonal effort. I suprised myself and now I need to transfer that to my long running and continue the trajectory. 

A milestone

Sunday 29th Jun

Today I ran the Half Marathon distance today for the first time since March. 


It was a slog, but I pushed myself hard to get it done. It felt like a milestone I needed to reach before the end of June, with 17 weeks to go until Dublin Marathon. It didn’t feel good physically and, as a result, it didn’t feel much better mentally. 


I have so much gratitude for those who have already supported my fundraising campaign for Mental Health UK. I also continue to be grateful to the staff at Functional Movement Physio in Liverpool - in the past few weeks Jordan has given me confidence in my training aims and body is getting stronger every week. I'm conscious of relapsing by overtraining but I am committed to doing what is required to reach my goal.

Mental Health Awareness Week

Saturday 17th May
Hello,
I thought I should give an update on my training and, as this week has been Mental Health Awareness Week it seemed a particularly good time to do it.

I have not been able to run very much since injuring myself during the Liverpool Half Marathon back in March. Since then I have only managed infrequent, short, slow runs. Running has always been something I have done to help me cope with the stresses and strains that life throws at me. Running allows me time to reflect, but also the focus to progress. I enjoy having time to myself, often out in nature, to decompress and unwind. Pushing my body physically helps me to push myself mentally also. In short, running aids my mental health as much as my physical health.

I am pleased to share that I have recently had a physiotherapy session that gave me hope and confidence that I am on the path to full recovery. Importantly, my physio thinks I have no problems with preparing for the Marathon in Dublin this coming October. It won't be straightforward, but there is a plan. Just by having this session and knowing I have a plan in place has done wonders for me mentally at the end of a week that was particularly trying.

I want to say a huge thank you to Charlie from Functional Movement Physio in Liverpool for taking care of me and putting me at ease. I am now looking forward to the training I have ahead of me in the coming months!!

£50/mile (+1)

Sunday 6th Apr
Not so long ago, in the autumn of 2023, I announced that I would never run a marathon again. I had run my first marathon in Amsterdam and, though I enjoyed it for the most part, I did not achieve the time I had been aiming for.  Here we are in 2025 and I have convinced myself it would be a good idea to run a second marathon. I want to achieve a better time for myself, but just to add a little more pressure, I also want to raise money for an important charity in the process. 

Over the coming months I will be building up the distances and preparing for participation in the Irish Life Dublin Marathon. Along the way I will also be raising money for Mental Health UK. Running is one of the ways I try to look after my mental health so it makes sense to me to be using the opportunity provide valuable support to one of the UKs main mental health charities. 

I’ll do my best to document the process of training for Dublin in October, including running the Great North Run in September. 

I am aiming to raise more than £50 for every mile I will be running. Your support is so appreciated and will help make a difference for so many people. 

Thank you to my Sponsors

£5

Anonymous

£25

Zoe Watson

Best of luck James!! 🙏🙏

£15

Ash

Hope you are a better runner than you are curator 🙃🫶🏼

£25

Whitti1k

Go for it, harper1j. xxx

£10

Richard Ford

£10

Peter Hp

Go Jazz!

£20

Danny Kilbride

£10

Steffan

Go James! You’ve got this!!

£10

Jo Marsh

£25

Neil Harper

£10

I.

Have fun!🙃

£20

Amy Stevenson

Well done James! Very inspiring and a very worthy cause 🫶

£10

Nat

Go’ed :-)

£15

Adrian Watts

£25

Dai Jones

Best of luck!

£15

Helene Maziere

Go James goooooo !

£15

Harriet Baxter

£20

Julia Gros

£25

Sarah Roberts

Yessssss Harper! 😘

£10

Jill Mcknight

Best of luck James and well done for raising money for a great cause

£20

Michael, Shelby And Owen

£40

Rona Harper, Sue Holmes

£25

Jill And Andrew

Pob Hwyl!

£27.05

Anonymous

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