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