For Naomi Atkin, getting back to the half marathon start line is something of a milestone. For her colleagues Steph Smith, Lorna Green and Emma Backhouse, it’s part of a growing love of running that has seen them take on everything from 10Ks to the Metric Half.

All four work for Shrewsbury-based cancer charity Lingen Davies – and this year they’re combining their running with fundraising as they prepare for September’s Shrewsbury Half and Metric Half.

The group recently took part in the Shrewsbury 10K in July, helping raise around £1,900 through their runners, with the event organisers also donating £1 from every entry.

But the running journey is slightly different for each of them.

From an eight-year break to two half marathons

Naomi, CEO of Lingen Davies, is facing the biggest challenge of the group. She’s training for both the Great North Run on September 13 and the Shrewsbury Half on September 27.

It’s a return to longer-distance running after a significant break.

“I used to run a lot. I used to run a lot of half marathons. Certainly I’ve done two marathons,” Naomi explains. “I then had two children who are now three and six. So I took quite a long break from running.”

The September races will be the first time she’s run for more than around an hour in eight years.

Naomi has already completed the Shrewsbury Metric Half and Great North Run in the past, making this year’s challenges something of a return to familiar territory.

“I’m really enjoying training again and getting back into it,” she says.

Her goal isn’t necessarily to chase a new personal best. Instead, she’d like to beat her previous Great North Run time from 10 years ago and, perhaps most importantly, enjoy getting back to the distance.

“A long time ago, a half marathon was my favourite distance,” she says.

From beginners’ running group to 10K

For Steph, the Shrewsbury 10K was part of a more recent running journey.

She joined the Shropshire Shufflers’ beginners-to-10K programme earlier this year, building her mileage gradually before taking on the race in July.

The timing was particularly appropriate – the 10K fell on her birthday weekend.

“I thought it was a nice way to celebrate and maybe get some sponsorship in,” Steph says.

The event also gave her the chance to experience the support of the local crowd, something she particularly enjoyed.

Steph is now turning her attention towards the Metric Half and hopes to build up her distance again before September.

The appeal of the Metric Half

For Lorna and Emma, the Metric Half provides a stepping stone between the 10K distance and the full half marathon.

Lorna has been running regularly after completing a 0-to-10K programme with the Shropshire Shufflers, while Emma has been running 5Ks and 10Ks since around 2013/14.

Emma describes herself as more of a “plodder” than a runner, but last year she took on the Metric Half for the first time.

“I really enjoyed it,” she says. “I really, really loved that sort of extra 3K on the 10K distance.”

She was initially nervous about the course, having heard about Shrewsbury’s hills, but found that the atmosphere and support around the route helped.

Why run for charity?

For the group, taking on races isn’t just about the distance.

Lingen Davies became the headline charity partner for this year’s Shrewsbury 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Metric Half after approaching the organisers about charity places.

The partnership also helps raise awareness of the charity and its work, as well as funds for its Sunflower Appeal, which is aiming to raise £5 million by 2029 towards a dedicated Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

For Naomi, fundraising can be just as challenging as the running itself.

“I did the London Marathon eight years ago for Lingen Davies and the fundraising was actually a lot harder than the training,” she says.

But that challenge can also become a powerful motivator.

“Once all those people have committed that support to you, you’re going to do what you can do to get to the end.”

The charity’s 10K runners raised around £1,900 collectively, while the organisers’ £1 donation per entry took the total raised through the event beyond £3,000.

Fundraising doesn’t have to be complicated

Naomi’s advice for runners taking on a charity place is simple: make the fundraising personal.

“Things really work when people do something they enjoy and they do something that’s personal to them,” she says.

When she was fundraising for the London Marathon, Naomi took over her local pub quiz, with the ticket money going towards her fundraising total.

She also recommends not underestimating how long fundraising can take.

“If people think they can raise a couple of thousand pounds in the last month before their marathon, they definitely can’t unless they’ve got a very, very big idea. And it does take time.”

She also found that some of her most generous supporters were people she hadn’t spoken to for years.

“We’re all very connected online these days… putting it out there. The people who were most generous can be quite surprising.”

Running as a team

One of the biggest advantages for the Lingen Davies runners is that they’re not doing it alone.

With three of them taking on the Metric Half and Naomi tackling the full Half Marathon, there’s plenty of shared motivation.

They share a JustGiving page, meaning they’re fundraising together rather than individually.

“It’s nicer to do it as a team,” Naomi says. “You feel like you’re getting in somewhere with it a bit quicker.”

And there is, apparently, another important motivation waiting at the finish line: brunch.

Whether they’re chasing a time, simply aiming to finish or returning to running after years away, the four Lingen Davies runners have plenty to look forward to when they line up in September.

As Naomi puts it, the group’s motivation is simple: “It’s nice to do it all together.”

You can hear the full conversation with Naomi, Lorna, Emma and Steph on the UKRunChat podcast.

Find out more

To find out more about Lingen Davies, fundraising opportunities and the work the charity does, visit lingendavies.co.uk or follow Lingen Davies on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn