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Alison Merrett

Run 50/50 2026

Help me reach my goal of £200

My activity tracking

60
miles

Why I'm fundraising for Parkinson's UK

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page! I’m taking part in Run 50/50 for Parkinson’s UK, running 50 miles in 50 days to support the Parkinson’s community which has helped my dad.

Dad has been living with Parkinson’s for 13 years. Over time, it has progressed to an advanced stage where symptoms are more complex. It has changed so much about daily life — simple things many of us don’t think twice about are constant challenges for him.

What Parkinson’s hasn’t taken away is dad’s determination, resilience and his sense of humour.

If you’re able to sponsor me, I’d be so grateful. Every penny helps fund groundbreaking research and life-changing support for people living with Parkinson’s.

Thank you for your support 💙
 

Please help me
reach my goal

Raised

£930 + £220.80 GiftAid

My Goal

£200

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My achievements

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Raise £10

Raise £150

Run 25 miles

Run 50 miles

My updates

I did it - the challenge is complete

Saturday 18th Apr
On day 48, I hit my 50-mile target while visiting the Isle of Wight. I marked the moment with an early evening three-mile run from Sandown Beach towards Shanklin Beach and back, cheered on by wonderful friends.
Thank you all for the incredible support and encouragement—it truly made a difference.

Almost there

Sunday 12th Apr
This week, I got in 2 great runs with my running club - a 3-mile run on Thursday evening made much better by the lighter evenings, and a 4-mile run today in windy conditions. At least it stayed dry.
Now there are less than 2 miles left to complete with a week to go. The finish line is in sight.

Over 40 miles completed!

Saturday 4th Apr
With some time off work, I was able to join the lunch bunch for a 5k run on Thursday. I followed it up with a Parkrun, which pushed me past the 40-mile mark. I tried Berkeley Green Parkrun for the first time and came away with a new Parkrun pb of 32:07.
Just two weeks to go, with 9 miles left to run.

Another week, more miles

Monday 30th Mar
After Gloucester 10k, I felt surprisingly good - no real soreness and, most importantly, no seizing up. So, last week, I got back out with the club for a couple of runs around Cheltenham.
The first was a midweek 5k, followed by just over 7k yesterday. It's encouraging to see the miles build up.
Just three weeks to go.

Gloucester 10k and over halfway

Sunday 22nd Mar
What a beautiful morning for the Gloucester 10k. It was my first time running this event and it certainly didn't disappoint. The atmosphere was fantastic, and the conditions were just right, making it an enjoyable run from start to finish.
I'm really pleased to have come away with a new personal best of 1:09:49. This race also pushed me past the halfway mark of this challenge - a milestone that feels just as rewarding as the pb itself.

Day 14 - Kingsway Parkrun

Saturday 14th Mar
It was a lovely morning for Parkrun. I was planning to take it steady but ran a little quicker. I got my pacing right today. I managed to build the run properly, getting quicker with each km and finished stronger than I started.
So pleased to be over the 20 mile mark.

Run 4 - Thursday night club run

Thursday 12th Mar
The wind was howling and the rain was lashing against the window so it was an effort to get out the door for this run.
The conditions made it tough from the start. It wasn't a night for PBs it was just about getting the run done and adding 3.7 miles to the total.

Day 8 - stretching the distance

Sunday 8th Mar
Today I pushed things a little further.
With Gloucester 10k fast approaching, I realised I hadn't covered 10k since mid-December, so I wanted to make sure my legs remembered what it felt like.
Rather than focusing on pace, today was all about distance and confidence.
On to the next run.

A small milestone and a step up in mileage

Saturday 7th Mar
Today marks day 7 of the challenge and I've ticked off almost 8 miles this week. It might not sound like a huge number, but for me it is a shift in routine.
Normally I run between 3 and 5 miles a week, so to complete this challenge I need to increase my weekly mileage. To help me push the total a bit higher I did a 5K tempo run with my running club the other evening.
I don't run in the dark very often. This is mainly due to the uneven pavements. The risk of tripping over a raised edge is much higher and is at the back of my mind.
Still, getting out with the club made the miles more enjoyable and reminded me how motivating it can be to run with others.
Now it is time to see what week 2 brings.



Day 1

Sunday 1st Mar
The first day of my Run 50/50 challenge kicked off the best possible way - with a brilliant fun run in Cheltenham covering just over 7K.
Thankfully the rain decided to hold off so running conditions were good.
Almost 5 miles done and only 45 to go.

Thank you to my sponsors

£20

Bridget Meredith

Well done Ally.

£20

Anne Vaughan Davis

Well done

£16.56

Lisa

Well Done Alison, and a personal best in there as well, brilliant

£27.05

Matt N Mich

Well done Ali - great achievement and a very worthy cause.

£15

Anonymous

£10

Vicky G

Well done Ali for completing the challenge and raising money for this great cause.

£11.33

Helen Doyle

Well done 👏🏻

£10

Lucinda Deacon

Well done Alison, great achievement and a good cause

£15

Sophie Pacey

Fantastic!!!!

£11.33

Kate Boye

Well done, great achievement.

£106

Dad And Mum

Congratulations Alison on your wonderful achievement and for raising awareness about Parkinson’s. xx

£11.09

Alison Bateman

An amazing achievement Alison for such a worthwhile cause. Well done!

£10

Emma Martin

£53.32

Cheryl Lee

Proud to support this cause. Thinking of you and your family. Thank you for doing this to raise awareness!

£15

Ellen Robinson

£10

Liz Banks

£27.05

Nick Haines

Well done Ali- you’re smashing it! Go girl 🤣🙈 xx

£20

Ro & John

Well done Ali xx

£25

Rob & Nicky Brooks

Go Ali Go - wonderful thing to take part in. X

£52.12

Rob & Judy

Well done Ali! xx

£21.84

Jennifer Cox

Well done Alison

£20

Karen Stagg

Ali - you continue to wow me with your running ability . Go Ali xx such a great cause x

£27.05

David Jewell

Keep on running Ali !!

£21.84

Jon & Philippa

Great stuff Alison - keep going!

£27.05

Claire Darwent

Well done, very inspiring and keep on running!

£32.23

Joan

Good luck Alison . We will be thinking of you on Sunday.

£79.50

David, Helen & Ralph

Go Sis!!

£50

Sheila Reynolds

Great work Alison. My brother has Parkinson’s so I really appreciate what you are doing.

£53.32

Merretts At Overton

£20

Kate Silvey

Go Alison a great challenge you can do it! Thinking of you and your family. 🏆❤️

£11.33

Sarah Chubb

Go Alison! Good luck! x

£21.84

Sally And Keith Withers

Go Alison!!

£11.33

Charlotte Hart ( Withers )

What a great cause - am sure you will do amazingly! Just one foot in front of the other and repeat!!

£26.45

Alison Merrett