Running for Children’s Hospice South West

Running a half Marathon is no easy feat. 

It’s actually pretty tough on your feet. 

So when 3 of our team members from the Plymouth office (Ben Trim, Bradley Frederiks and Jenny Powacht) told us they were planning on running the Plymouth Half Marathon in aid for Children’s Hospice South West (CHWS) we jumped (or ran?) at the chance to help support them. 

Two of our team members, Ben and Brad, actually ran the marathon last year, too!

At Fluid, we’ve always supported our team with the good they do, chanting the mantra that we’re “more than just merchandise” from the sidelines.

Because, to us, it’s all about our commitment to helping the environment and supporting local communities, as well as working with a fantastic, passionate team. 

Read on to find out how Ben, Brad and Jenny are training for the marathon and the fantastic charity they’ve chosen to support. 

If you’d like to donate to their efforts, you can find their JustGiving page below: 

Who are Children’s Hospice South West 

Founded in 1991 by Eddie and Jill Farwell, Children's Hospice South West has been dedicated to making the most of short and precious lives. They do this through providing first-class hospice care for babies, children, and young people living with life-limiting conditions and their families.

They now have a chain of children’s hospices covering Cornwall, Plymouth, Torbay, Devon, Somerset, North Somerset, Bristol, Bath, North East Somerset, and South Gloucestershire. 

Running for Children’s Hospice South West

How are you feeling about running another half marathon for charity, Ben & Brad? 

Ben: “Feeling really positive, actually! I’ve been trying to do 3-4 runs per week, slowly upping the mileage each time.” 

Brad: “I’m feeling really positive and excited, too. However, I’ve had a few small injuries this year while training. I’ve got both my fingers and toes crossed these don’t flare up on the day.” 

How did they convince you to join in, Jenny? 

Jenny: “It didn’t take a lot! I ran a 10k last year, too, and was eager to set myself up for another challenge this year - especially in aid of such an amazing charity.”

Why did you decide to raise money for Children’s Hospice South West? 

Ben: “A family member of mine knows a lady who works there. She told me that the charity has been struggling with donations recently, so we wanted to support them as much as we could!”

How’s training going? Are you training together?

Ben: “Training’s going well, thanks! I need to get a few longer runs in, but I’ve still got time, so I’m not too worried.”

Brad: “Training is... kind of going okay? We’ve still got a month to go, but I know it’ll come around quickly!” 

Jenny: “I think I’m getting there with my training, yeah. We still need to train together, which would be good.”

Ben: “There’s definitely a few Plymouth Office runs pending!”

Do you have any goals you want to achieve? 

Ben: “I really want to complete the route in less than 2 hours.”

Brad: “Same. In under 2 hours would be an amazing achievement.”

Jenny: “My goal is to not walk any of the way! But, me too, I’d also like to complete it in under 2 hours.”

What advice would you give to someone prepping for a half marathon?

Ben: “I think my main bit of advice would be to start training at least 3 months before your run. Start with running a 5k. You can then judge how you’re doing and where you need to improve.” 

Brad: “I’d say to plan your training runs in advance, like what route you’re going to take and when, then stick to a schedule. Also, try not to get injured (like me!).

Jenny: “My advice is simple: start early!”

What’s your favourite piece of training gear/merch? 

Ben: “My phone running pouch for sure. I wouldn’t be able to do any training without listening to my playlists.”

Brad: “My running vest for my gels. It gives people in the office a good chuckle.”

What’s your biggest driving factor/inspiration for running? 

Brad: “I think we can all agree it’s the charity!”

Do you have a strategy for the day? 

Brad:” Yeah, I want to be able to run a kilometer every 5:40 minutes. Then, at the 15km marker, I’ll do the last 6km in 5:15 minutes each. That should get me in just under the 2-hour mark for a half marathon.”

Jenny: “I have a completely different strategy! My partner is running the half marathon with me for moral support, so I’m aiming to keep pace with him.” 

What’s your favourite running snack? 

Brad: “Before the race: toast and honey with a banana. After the race: a few pints and a platter of chicken wings!”

What are you looking forward to most? 

Ben:” Completing the half marathon would be amazing, but what I’m really looking forward to is raising as much money as we can for Children’s Hospice South West.” 

Brad: “The hill up the barbican just before the finish, as then I know I'm about 5 minutes from the finish line.”

Who’s the fastest runner out of you three? 

Ben: “I would say Brad at the moment; however, there’s a lot of training time left, so we’ll see!

Jenny: “Definitely Brad.”

Brad: “Can I say myself?” 

Make every moment monumental

We’re here to help you and our team dream big.

Whether that’s through meaningful merchandise or helping the communities we love.

We’re all about making a big, beautiful, positive impact whenever we can! 

Good luck to Ben, Brad and Jenny - keep us updated!

Donate to their fundraiser below, and help make a difference for such an amazing charity.