Service Users Forum: Help shape our services by joining our service user forum and let us know how we can improve - Find out more

Service User Involvement
Urgent help Donate

Runners don trainers in aid of Solent Mind despite Great South Run cancellation

Despite the race being cancelled due to poor weather conditions, some of our runners took it upon themselves to still run 10 miles on behalf of Solent Mind.

Dan, Abby and her friend on a blue background.

Although organisers of Portsmouth’s Great South Run made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event because of bad weather and concerns around safety, some of our fundraising runners still took it upon themselves to run 10 miles on behalf of our charity.

One of those runners was 26-year-old Abby Mae King from Southampton. Disappointed to hear that this year’s race was no longer happening and wanting to honour donations she’d already received, Abby ran a 10-mile route near to her home.

Abby said: “My sister, Ellie, and me had trained so hard and we were all ready to run. Although this year’s event was cancelled, we still wanted to make sure we completed the challenge as we’d planned to.

“We were still set on raising money for Solent Mind. We had already had some wonderful donations from family and friends, and I knew that my workplace would be matching our £200 raised, so we wanted to cross the 'finish line’ regardless.

“The weather was as bad as they’d said, and we were soaked through, but we did it! We finished in 1 hour 54 minutes. It wasn’t quite the time we had aimed for but, given the conditions, we were happy.”

The inspiring fundraiser has struggled with mental health issues in the past and said she chose to raise money for Solent Mind to help other people who might be going through difficult times.

She added: “I wish I had known about the services that Solent Mind provides when I was struggling. It's so important that people know there’s a safe place available where they can be heard. The work the charity is doing is incredible and it’s good to know that the funds we raised will go towards helping support more people in the local area.

“We are hoping to sign up for the Great South Run 2025 and will, once again, be supporting Solent Mind.”

Dan Ketley from Fareham, who works for Solent Mind as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner in NHS Talking Therapies, also took to the streets despite the cancellation.

He said: “Although the race was cancelled, I was still adamant on running in aid of the fantastic charity I work for. I ran 10 miles along the seafront in Lee-on-Solent and raised £400.”

We also saw updates from Ricky and Maria, who were all smiles as they completed their runs:


Gaynor Jordan-Davis, Solent Mind Fundraising Manager, said: “We were so disappointed to learn that this year’s Great South run event wasn’t going ahead, and we know that many of our fundraisers were equally as disappointed.

“A huge thank you to many of them though who, like Abby and Dan, decided to run anyway on behalf of Solent Mind. You’re all amazing and we’re incredibly grateful.”

If you would like to sign up to next year’s Great South Run or take part in the 10th anniversary of ABP Southampton Marathon in aid of Solent Mind, please let us know at www.solentmind.org.uk/support-us/fundraising/challenge/

Back to all news Become a member