Why we RUN

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

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