Dunstable runner raises money for charity by running every day in 2023

A woman in Dunstable has run every day in 2023 to raise money for charity.

Hayley Newman began running five years ago with a ‘Couch to 5k’ challenge. She said: “From this, I decided to continue running 5k on my own a couple of times a week. Sometimes I would run 10k and a couple of half marathons. At the end of 2022, my friend Christina Lawrence, a runner also, suggested running every day, at least a mile for an entire year.

"I agreed, thinking I wouldn't stick to it, but after a month of surprising myself by not missing a day, I thought it would be a good idea to try and raise money. I chose Mind BLMK because of how important mental health is and having seen friends suffer from poor mental health and how devastating it can be.”

Hayley has covered over 1000km and run for over 100 hours so far – and says her favourite routes are Sewell Cutting and Houghton Hall Park.

She added: “Sometimes it's hard to get motivated especially in the scorching sun or freezing wind and rain but once I was out there, I was enjoying it.

"If anyone else is thinking of running, the Couch to 5k was a great way for me to start. It's now just a part of a daily routine, but I will be glad on New Year’s Day to hang my running shoes up – for a couple of days, anyway.”

Visit Hayley’s JustGiving page to donate to Mind BLMK.