Why we RUN
WOMAN'S WEEKLY|April 21, 2020
Just 30 minutes of jogging is proven to lift your mood. Here, three women explain why they pound the pavements
LEBBY EYRES, KARA O'NEILL
Why we RUN

Rhian Mannings MBE, 42, Miskin

When I’m running, I think about my son, George, who died from pneumonia, aged one, in 2012, and my late husband Paul, who took his own life five days later. After their deaths, I was poorly for a long time, but I was determined to keep going for my children Holly, 12, and Isaac, 11.

Training for long races helped give me focus. I’d always been sporty, and I realised that getting outside to exercise was a way to deal with my emotions. Concentrating on my breathing and my stride length as I ran was a temporary distraction from the heartbreak, and with every step, I felt stronger, both physically and mentally.

In 2017, I was asked to run the London Marathon for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s campaign and Prince William was so supportive. I even asked him if my kids would be all right without their father, like he was without his mum.

When I take part in races, I raise money for my charity, 2 Wish Upon a Star, which provides support for bereaved families in Wales. I have the name of every child whose family we have supported on my running top. The hardest thing is crossing the finish line and George and Paul not being there. I swear sometimes I can see their faces in the crowd. But I know they’re looking down on me, proud of every step I’ve taken.

Lynn Hutchings, 41, Oxford

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