Update – 8th January 2020
Challenge over, mission complete.
Read my final update here.
The Challenge
Graham runs 5k-a-day sounds interesting, but what is it?
In 2019 I’m taking up my first every running challenge, to run a minimum of 5km every day of the year – that’s 365 days running a minimum total of 1,825km.
In 2018 I ran 786.9km, so the target is considerably more than my previous annual total.
To put it into context 1,825km (1,134 miles) is the equivalent of running from Liverpool to Helsinki in a straight line. I realise that’s not actually possible because of the North Baltic Sea and other practicalities(!) but it’s a nice illustration of the distance!
The Rules
UPDATED October 2019
I’m going to try my very best to run every single day of the year. I missed a few days through injury after the marathon in May, and some more days in September while a back strain healed, but I’ve still stayed active every day, and am well over the rolling target for the year.
I’m keeping a record of how many kilometres I’ve run each day, what my total is up to that point, and how many km over the rolling target I am. You can see my running total (no pun intended!) on each of my 5k-a-day posts.
Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease. It can be debilitating and frightening for those who have it, and heartbreaking for the family members supporting them as their personality changes and memory slowly slips away.
My mum has early onset dementia and my elder sister’s mother-in-law had Alzheimer’s towards the end of her life. At the moment there is no cure. Scientists are working hard on finding one, or at least finding something that will slow or stop the disease’s progression, and hopefully something that will prevent Alzheimer’s taking hold in the first place.
So I wanted to do something to help.
Alzheimer’s Research UK
Alzheimer’s Research UK – ARUK – is an official partner of parkrun UK and given my addiction to parkrun doing something that raises money for them was the obvious choice!
ARUK fund word-class researchers to unravel the science behind the complex diseases that causes dementia. They fund research into diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
Some of the research projects funded by ARUK are based at the University of Manchester where I work.
JustGiving and other donations
Since my distance target is 1,825km I set an original fundraising target of £1,825 across the year. Since I reached that in October I extended the target to £2,000.
The challenge includes taking part in a number of races including the Liverpool Spring 10k (5th May), the Liverpool Half Marathon (10th March), the Great Manchester Run (19th May) and my first ever marathon – the Liverpool Rock n Roll Marathon (26th May) – and will be accepting donations to the 5k-a-day fund as part of this.
My JustGiving page is justgiving.com/grahamruns5kaday
If at all possible please make your donations direct via JustGiving. This process is simple, fast and totally secure and your details are safe – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. It’s the most efficient way to donate – saving me and the charity time and cutting costs for the charity.
I realise there might be some people who prefer not to use online donation platforms like this or who just find it easier to shove a fiver into my hand at the end of a parkrun or concert. For these occasions I’ve set up a separate savings account to deposit any cash donations or direct bank transfers I receive. Although I’d prefer you used JustGiving if you’d rather donate via me get in touch. These donations will be added manually to the total on the JustGiving page then transferred directly to Alzheimer’s Research UK at the end of the challenge.
Updates
I’ll be posting regular updates on this website in addition to Twitter and Facebook. There will be a weekly update which I’ll add to the JustGiving page.
To see all of my 5k-a-day posts click the link below or the one in the top menu.
itsafrogslife.net/grahamruns/category/5k-a-day
My lovely donors!
Thank you to all the lovely people who’ve donated towards my target, either via JustGiving or direct. Your support is a real incentive to keep going to the end!
JANUARY
Richard Chen, David Cox, Tim O’Neill, Gina Butterworth, Lisa Crannage, Louise Crook, Lindsay Foster, Michelle Sharples, Judy Webb
FEBRUARY
Roger Tolley, Andy Land, Karen Wilson, Ted Duckworth, Carole Shimmin, Charlotte Nunn, Robin Fox, Helen Scott
MARCH
Tim Lill, Neil Chatterjee, Anonymous Donor (I know who you are – many thanks!), Daniel Kaszeta, Kevin Robertson, Steven Jackson, Anonymous Donor (I know who you are – many thanks!), Luan Lawrenson-Woods
APRIL
Claire Lewis, Andrew Hall, John Hynes, Anonymous Donor, Gail Heathcote-Milner, Rachel Kirkwood, Sarah Kneen, Claire Hodkinson, Rachel Garraway
MAY
Chris Millson, Ellie Byram, Sarah Gusterson, Hazel Sugden, Mick Groves, David Provost, Jill Eaves, Janette Watson, Anna Hughes, Glyn Williams, Ultan Mulhern, Prue Senior, Becca, John & Hanna Jurkowski, Margaret Roberts, David Harbottle
JUNE
Helen Stanton, Emma Park, Marc & Ruth Moss-Jones, Alice Horton, Elaine Scammell, Gonçalo Morais, Calum Burrell
July
Anonymous (I know who you are!), Colin Maddocks, Jo Gibson, Kaya & Chris Herstad-Carney, John (Clitheroe parkrun), Paul Dunbridge
August
Anonymous guy in red Rab t-shirt, Katy & Lou on behalf of Hyndburn parkrun, Margaret Bentley, Marie Wilson, Hannah Morgan, Bekah & Kev Eustace, Katherine Murray, Victoria Garlick, Katy Wafer, Calum and Lynsey Burrell
September
Steph, Harry, Kate and Eloise Short (The Wammy parkrun), James Boon, David Holland, Anonymous, Graham Thomas (Pont y Bala parkrun), Antonia Marsden, Ben Currington (Pont y Bala parkrun), Andy Rogers (Tawd Valley parkrun), Jane Roberts, Erica Haimes
October
Dan Kaszeta, Robin Fox, Becca Roberts, Anonymous, Amanda Barr, Andy Dockerty, Stuart Todd, Liea Mitchell, Rob Jones, Margaret Roberts, Holly Bovis, Ian and Anne Headey
November
Sarah Wilson, Anonymous, Robin Fox, Emma Thorbinson
December 2019 & January 2020
Brian Holland, Anonymous, Sarah Lomas, Adam Cooke, Anonymous, BJ Straw, Carly Richardson, Thomas Wafer, Donna Robinson, Mark Finch, Christopher Dobson, Anonymous, Jo Gibson, Don McAllister, Anonymous, Ian Kettle, Helen Cooper, Millford, Ms Noble, Kath Milne, Ian Davies, Michael Parry, Peter Clitheroe, John Armstrong, Heather, Ray O’Keefe, Linda Mills, Anna Faulkner, Anna Roberts , Francine Watkins, Richard Chen, Merry Hell, Nicholas Crisp, Claire Hurst, Iain Till, John and Angela Manning, Anonymous, Mike Kelly, Anonymous, Esther.
graham runs 5k-a-day