Freya Griffiths

Hackney Half 2025 for Parkinson’s UK

Sunday 4th May

I’m running the Hackney Half for Parkinson’s UK — in memory of my Grandad, and for everyone living with the quiet weight of this disease.

Parkinson’s stayed with my Grandad for over a decade. It moved slowly, but steadily — making everyday things more difficult, more tiring, more fragile. And yet, he met it all with composure, wit, and a kind of resilience that never asked for attention.

Even after he died, he found a way to keep helping — donating his brain to research in the hope that someone else might have an easier road. That simple, steadfast generosity says everything about the man he was.

There are more than 153,000 people in the UK living with Parkinson’s. It’s the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world — and still, there’s no cure. No breakthrough. No easy answers.

That’s why I’m running. Not for a medal  — but to help carry this forward. Parkinson’s UK is funding the research, providing the support, and pushing for the change that’s long overdue.

If you’re able to donate, thank you. Every contribution matters more than you think.

And if not, simply sharing this helps too.

This run is for my Grandad. And for progress — the kind that should have come sooner, but still isn’t too late.

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