A woman from Kent, who organised her own half marathon after the official Hastings one was postponed, has raised over £600 for working animal charity Brooke.

Jenny Lee had entered the Hastings Half Marathon in March but the event was forced to be rescheduled after explosive chemicals were found at a property on the route just a few days before the race was due to take place.

Not to be deterred, the 51-year-old from Hawkhurst decided to run her own half marathon in Bedgebury Forest accompanied by friends and training partners from the Hawkhurst recreational walking, jogging and running group, Walkers 2 Runners. 

On completing the run, Jenny received a horse brass medal from the organisers of the Hastings Half Marathon, which has been rescheduled for Sunday 5 October. 

Determined to succeed

“It was disappointing that the Hastings Half was cancelled but having worked hard to train for the distance and being fit and uninjured, I felt I owed it to all those that had sponsored me and to the team at Brooke to achieve my goal,” said Jenny.

“It felt a bit surreal having my own doorstep as a start line. There was no buzz and no excitement, but I had an underlying determination to complete the distance.

“I think having a background in competing at local horse shows in show jumping, and then later in endurance, you learn resilience and to just get it done. I ran into the local forest with a friend and then we met up with our local run group for the last 9 miles. There was no cheering crowd to carry me through the fatigue but I got there in the end.”

Brooke, which was founded by Dorothy Brooke in 1934, works with communities, local health providers and policy makers to create a better life for working animals and their owners. 

The charity recognises that working animals are an essential part of many communities around the world and without them they would be unable to earn a living, provide food for their families and send their children to school.

Images © Jenny Hastings.

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