Newbury teenagers raise more than £900 in half-marathon for NHS

13.1 miles run on cross trainers

Two Newbury schoolgirls completed a half-marathon on their cross trainers to raise funds for the NHS.

Sixteen-year-old Nia Evan and her best friend Ella Matthews, 15, ran the 13.1 miles in just one hour 41 minutes.

Both girls are pupils at Park House School and were supposed to be taking their GCSEs this year, but when the exams were cancelled due to the Coronavirus crisis they decided to put their time to good use and wanted to do something to help.

The girls originally set a target of £500, but thanks to support from family, friends and work colleagues of both families, they have so far raised more than £900.

Nia said: "Fitness is a big part of my life, so I definitely enjoyed it but it was hard work.

"We did a lot of training in the lead-up to the challenge and usually ran twice a week together on FaceTime – anything from 10k to five miles, depending on how we were feeling.

"I'm very pleased and overwhelmed by the amount we have raised. I didn't expect to raise that much.”

Ella said: "It was great to be involved in something like this.

"Nia and I trained hard together, but I did get very nervous when the big day came.

"I can't believe the amount of money that we raised and that makes me feel proud and happy that we did something for the local community."

The girls chose to fundraise for Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust because they want to help the local NHS fight Covid-19.

If you would like to donate, visit their JustGiving page