I am not a natural-born runner and I don’t know why I first started running, but I knew I was determined to run the Cambridge Half Marathon in February. I ran in celebration of the life of my good friend Jonty Harrison. I don’t want to say in memory of, because there are so many things to celebrate about what he achieved in his short 29-year life. Jonty waited 5 years for a heart transplant, but he didn’t make it and died of heart failure in 2014. He faced those years with strength. I don’t remember him without a smile on his face, even when in hospital, and that strength provided me with the motivation and determination to run. Jonty had cardiomyopathy, that was diagnosed part way through university, but he didn’t let that stop him. Jonty lived life to the full, even with a heart condition; he got a first from Cambridge and ran a successful business. I was not the first of Jonty’s friends to fundraise for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in Jonty’s name. A large group formed Team Jonty, completing BHF’s London to Brighton cycle ride. I am not that good at cycling so supported from the roadside. I decided I would run a half marathon (what I considered to be a substantial distance for me) instead. It was relatively hard to motivate myself to start running in the depths of winter, but I told myself I was doing it for Jonty. That really spurred me on at times when I didn’t feel like getting out of bed, or was running out of energy when I still had another 7 miles to go. I started running just before the start of 2016 and followed a training plan. If I was asking people to sponsor me, I had to take it seriously! A few weeks before the run, I set up my fundraising page. As well as asking for sponsorship, I thought I would also remind people to consider registering as an organ donor, as this too is really important. I was overwhelmed by the support and encouragement I received and reached my fundraising target on the day I set up the page, which was amazing. The day of the run drew closer, and the sponsorship just kept coming in. It also created added pressure for me to run, not only for Jonty, but also for all of the generous people who had supported me. So, come rain or shine, the training continued. I was rather nervous on the day of race. I set off at a slow, steady pace and (much to my surprise—and relief), felt comfortable for the first 11 miles. I met some lovely people on the route, runners encouraging one another to keep going when things were hard, and I enjoyed telling people who I was running for and why. It had been a cold, grey morning, but it was dry and the sun came out for us. The support from family, the crowd and bands along the route picked me up at the just the right times. I had to dig deep for the last 2 miles, but out of nowhere I got a bit of extra energy to manage a ‘sprint’ finish (well, just running a little bit faster than I had been, but it felt like a sprint as I was giving it my all). I felt really emotional as I crossed the finish line and thought of Jonty. I felt good. In addition to running for a wonderful person, and raising funds for a great cause, I was delighted to have achieved a personal best. Jonty has inspired so many of his friends to raise funds, and we do so in the hope that research might help others with heart failure survive heart problems in future. Two weeks after the run, I found out I was in the top 5% of fundraisers in February 2016. I think this is a reflection on Jonty! I have been touched by the generosity of friends—both those who were lucky enough to know Jonty, and those who never had the pleasure but offered their support anyway. BJCN