Charity feature: Anne McQuitty is tackling sixty 10k runs in a single year e to raise funds for Cystinosis Foundation UK
Turning 60 is a good enough reason for many people to put their feet up.
But not for Anne McQuitty. The retired piano teacher who lives in the Scottish Borders turned the landmark age in February this year. To celebrate is tackling 60 10k runs in a single year. Her ‘Run 60 for 60’ challenge mostly features local runs mapped out by GPS.
But she will also take part in twelve organised races, including the Duo Challenge event in September’s Scottish Half Marathon which takes place in East Lothian on Saturday 19th September this year. She is taking on the challenge to raise funds for Cystinosis Foundation UK, a charity close to the heart of the community in her home village West Linton.
Anne said: “I chose this charity to support a local girl who has the rare genetic condition Cystinosis, which causes impaired growth and kidney problems.”
Five year old Morven Hutchison lives in West Linton and is inspiration for Anne’s fundraising.
“At the moment, there is no cure.” Anne explained. “The symptoms can be treated but only with unpleasant drugs that cause severe side effects and must be administered every few hours, including throughout the night. She is brave and has a very sunny disposition and keeps relatively well.
“Kidney failure whilst still young is almost inevitable and without improvements in available treatments, the long term prognosis for sufferers of this condition is not good. However recent research has had breakthrough results which could give a much better outlook for children with cystinosis. Further funding is desperately needed.”
Anne has set a £2500.00 target for her fundraising. A former league squash player, Anne took up running to train for the 1983 Edinburgh Marathon. Due to family life and injury, her involvement dwindled over the years but has been rekindled in recent years.
“I joined West Linton Training four years ago.” She explained. “It is a local self-employed business run by Michael Jent. He is a professional lifecoach and trainer and has converted his double garage into a fully equipped gym. Its amazing...one to one sessions with training adapted to suit your needs.
“That got me running again and it was when I came up with the idea to ‘Run 60 for 60’. It was suggested that it was very sponsor-able and I decided to run for Morven. I decided to look at 10ks as that distance was new for me. I actually find the 10k distance quite challenging...in some ways it’s too short and fast.
“Getting the pace right is so difficult...I cannot start slow and warm up in the race for everyone else will have finished before I’ve started! Conversely start too fast and I’ve lost the will to live at the 6K mark!
The Scottish Half Marathon will be a focal point for Anne as she moves just over the halfway point of her year-long attempt. The Duo Challenge involves two team-mates splitting the course, both running just over 10k each to complete the 13.1mile distance. Anne is teaming up with Moira Jent, wife of her trainer for the event on Saturday 19 September.
The Scottish Half Marathon route takes runners along the magnificent East Lothian Golf Coast before a grandstand finish in the final furlong at Musselburgh Racecourse, Scotland’s oldest racecourse, on Saturday 19th September this year.
Entries for the Scottish Half Marathon are open and start from £29.57. For full details, visit: www.scottishhalfmarathon.com
To support Anne visit www.justgiving.com/run60for60 and keep fully up to date with her challenge on www.facebook.com/Run60for60 or on twitter, follow @run60for60
