Ruby Run Half Marathon 2015 – India Himalaya

Who am I?

My name is Meg Hansen, and l have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit Ladakh, a region of the Indian Himalayas, for three weeks in July 2016. To do this, however, I need to raise £3000.

What am I doing?

On June 14th, I will be taking part in and completing the Ruby Run, a challenging half marathon of 13.7 miles through the heart of Ruby country - Hatherleigh to Holsworthy. This is going to be a massive challenge for me, mentally as well as physically, but training has begun in earnest, and I am aiming to complete the run in sub 2 hours. (Feel free to come down and support on the day, think I’ll need it!)

Where will the money go?

The money I raise from doing this will be put towards my expedition to Ladakh, where we will be completing arduous treks through the world’s greatest mountain range, exploring stunning landscapes at very high altitudes, as well as spending time assisting one of the local communities.

In winter in Ley, the largest town in the region of Ladakh, temperatures can fall to -25 degrees Celcius, and rarely peak above -5 during daytime. Because of this, subsistence farmers (families who farm for a living, not a profit) really suffer, as they are unable to grow the food they need to survive, having to import vegetables from elsewhere at extremely high prices.

Our project is to help one of these remote villages by building them a sturdy, underground greenhouse, a five day task which - with a lot of hard work on our behalf - will enable families to grow food all year round, even during the bleak depths of winter, meaning people have enough to eat without having to pay large amounts of money to import food. These greenhouses will be completely constructed by ourselves, building everything from the walls to the roof, even making use of local rubbish as an insulator between a double-layer wall.

Work like this is truly invaluable, as most people really cannot afford to pay for vegetables from elsewhere. This will be a rewarding experience for everyone involved - a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Why should you sponsor me to do this event?

This half marathon is going to be a huge personal challenge for myself, as I have never ran this far before, so it would be amazing if people could support me with this. The money will be funding this trip to India, but whilst out there, we will be doing lots of work with the local villages - the trip isn’t just focussed on the walking element - and we can really make a difference to these communities’ lives.

What else am I doing to raise money?

Along with this half marathon, my team and I plan on raising funds by doing various other events, including skydives, babysitting, dog walking, car washing, bag packing, raffles, an auction of promises - and maybe even another half marathon next year!