John Mitchell

Every Step a Memory: Why I’m Running 26.2 Miles This March

Saturday 28th Feb

March has arrived. Usually, I look at this month as the start of spring, longer evenings, and a stretch towards summer. But this March is different. This year, March is about a mission.

I’ve signed up for the "Running 26.2 Miles in March Challenge" in aid of The Irish Cancer Society. Over the next 31 days, I will be clocking up the distance of a full marathon, bit by bit, step by step.

On the surface, it sounds like just another fitness challenge. But for me, and perhaps for many of you reading this, it is so much more than just miles on the road.

Why I’m Running

When you’ve watched people you love fight battles they didn't choose, you sometimes feel helpless. You want to do something.

This March, my running shoes are my way of doing something.

I’m running because I can, and I am painfully aware that so many others cannot.

I’m running for the members of my family who are no longer here to walk beside me. Every mile I cover this month is dedicated to their memory, to their courage, and to the laughter they brought into our lives.

And I’m running for the future. I'm running so that hopefully, one day, fewer families have to go through what mine—and perhaps yours—has gone through.

Supporting The Irish Cancer Society

The Irish Cancer Society is a beacon of hope in this country. They provide crucial support services for patients and their families when they feel most lost, and they fund vital research that brings us closer to better treatments and cures. They are there in the darkest hours, offering practical help and a listening ear.

But they can’t do it on fresh air.

How You Can Help

I know times are tough for everyone right now. But if you can spare the price of a coffee, a pint, or whatever you can manage, I would be incredibly grateful if you could donate to my fundraising page.

https://fundraise.cancer.ie/fundraisers/johnmitchell/run-262-march

Every single euro raised goes directly to helping people across Ireland affected by cancer. It funds the night nurses, the support lines, and the researchers working tirelessly in labs.

If you can’t donate right now, I completely understand. You can still help by sharing this post, or just by sending me a little encouragement when the legs get tired around mile 18!

This March will be challenging, and there will be days when I won’t want to lace up my trainers. But when those moments come, I will think of who I am running for. I'll think of my family, and I'll think of yours. And I will keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for your support.

With love and determination,

John Mitchell

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