Media Student To Run Charity Marathon

A media student who couldn’t manage a mile eight months ago will this weekend be running a marathon in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Joe Ward, 19, of Beverley, will tackle the Yorkshire Marathon in York on Sunday after his dad, Dave, challenged him to run a marathon with him before he turned 50.

He is raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support after directing a video about Vicki Haley, of Anlaby, a keen advocate and fundraiser for the charity, who died in 2013.

Joe, who is studying on the Level Three BTEC Extended Diploma in Interactive Media, said: “My dad wanted me to run a marathon before he turned 50 and I have also helped Macmillan a lot in the past.

“I wasn’t originally going to do it for charity but I realised I could do it for Macmillan. Helping to make a video about someone who was ill made me want to assist Macmillan as much as I could.”

Joe was one of a group of students, along with Chris Lilly and Lewis Singleton, who last year edited footage of fundraising events organised by Vicki Haley in with a frank and deeply moving talk she gave to the charity’s volunteers and staff about her illness.

The team at Macmillan were so impressed that they showed it at a conference in Manchester in February, in front of more than 200 delegates.

Joe, who plans to progress to a film and TV degree at university, has now been training in preparation for the marathon for eight months and estimates he has run about 1,200 miles in that time.

He said: “When I first started, I couldn’t run a mile. I was out of breath. Now, I’m averaging 50 to 60 miles over six days each week.

“I’m a bit nervous at the moment because it’s sneaking up on me pretty quickly. I’m confident I can finish it but not so much that I can do it in less than four hours.”

Donations can be made in person at East Riding College’s Beverley campus in Gallows Lane via Joe’s JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/Joe-Ward1/
The Vicki Haley video can be viewed at www.youtube.com/eastridingcollege