Cardenden woman's marathon challenge to raise cash for charity supporting local families

Stacey Donaldson will be joining thousands of others pounding the streets of the capital for 26.1 miles while raising money for charity. The 43-year-old is taking on the challenge for Kirkcaldy-based Nourish Support Centre, which offers support to those families with children with additional support needs.

Stacey currently works for Nourish as their family support manager, however she’s well aware of the benefits the charity provides to those it helps as before taking on her role she was a member of Nourish, receiving that support as the mum of a child with additional support needs.

Stacey said: “Before the pandemic I was quite a keen runner and I had done quite a few half marathons. I had applied for a ballot place for the London Marathon for six years in a row and was never successful.

“During the pandemic I lost confidence with running and I hadn’t run for a couple of years. I was watching the marathon in October and I thought ‘I’m just going to apply, I’ll not get in anyway’. So I put in a ballot entry and this time I was successful.

"This will be my first big run since the pandemic and it’s a big challenge, but I’m determined I’m going to complete it. I’m quite nervous but the donations have been coming in and it’s keeping me motivated. I just thought if anything is going to get me back into running it’s doing the marathon and doing it for Nourish.”

In preparation for Sunday’s event, Stacey has been busy training and she’s now looking forward to getting to the start line.

She said: “I’ve been doing lots of laps around the village as well as running in Ravenscraig Park. A lap of Ravenscraig is one mile so I’ve been doing laps and laps and laps. I don’t feel nearly as confident or fit as I did, but I needed something to get me motivated again and this is it.

"I was going to do the Inverness Marathon in my 40th year, but Covid happened and it was cancelled. So now, three years later I'm doing a marathon - I'm three years older and I'm feeling it!

"I'm under no illusion that some miles towards the end will be tough and I'll probably be walking them, but I'm determined to make it to the end. I'm nervous, but quite excited about the challenge. I want to be able to say I've done the London Marathon."

To support Stacey’s fundraising efforts click here