Joanna conquers The Wall for St Oswald's Hospice

The Wall takes its name from its route along the historic Hadrian ‘s Wall, travelling west to east and at 70 miles long, would be Joanna’s toughest challenge to date. Joanna’s big day began in Carlisle at 6.30am on 19^th June and the course took her through the stunning Northumberland countryside. Refreshment stations were positioned at regular intervals to ensure the runners were hydrated and fuelled.

Joanna said:

“I had heard of people doing this event before and always felt a little jealous, so although it was daunting, I knew it was my time to give it a go. It seemed like the perfect way to raise money for the hospice too, with it being such a huge challenge.  

“I ended up running with Vanessa, a lady who is a friend of a friend but I had not met in person before. We just paired up on the day and I am glad I did because running with someone else made such a difference.  My husband, daughter and son in law were a great support on the route, as well as my new friend Vanessa’s husband and friends we saw along the way.

“I was amazed to finish the race with not a single blister and there was really only one low point, at about 50 miles, where I was feeling pretty fed up. But we put on our music and sang along and just pushed on. We crossed the line sobbing with relief and pride, it felt amazing to have been able to complete the course, especially in just one day.”