An Aberystwyth mum, whose daughter suffers from “multiple heart conditions”, is urging people to take part in the Marathon in May challenge to raise money for a Welsh children’s hospice.

Ty Hafan is challenging people to improve their fitness, whatever their starting level, by completing a marathon, 26.2 miles, during the month of May, to raise “much needed funds to support children with a life-limiting condition and their families”.

The challenge is open to anyone of all ages and abilities. Entry is £13 per person and including a finishers T-shirt, which will be posted to the runners in the last week of the challenge. Alternatively, runners can pay just £5 per person to enter without the T-shirt. If runners raise a minimum of £30 they receive a commemorative medal.

A spokesperson for Ty Hafan said “As lockdown starts to lift it’s time to get fit for Ty Hafan by doing your very own personal Marathon in May.

“You can do your marathon any way you like from walking, to star jumps, to cycling, to jogging to bouncing on a trampoline – basically anything that involves doing the distance or counting those all-important steps.”

They added: “Last year, Marathon in May 2020 lockdown-style saw the ever-generous people of Wales raise nearly £40,000 from this challenge alone.”

Bridget Harpwood and her 11-year-old daughter Elain James, who has multiple heart conditions, completed Ty Hafan’s virtual Marathon in May in 2020 and raised nearly £10,000 in the process.

Elain suffers from the genetic disorder 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. In Elain’s case, this has caused a life limiting heart condition, global developmental delay, autism, low muscle tone and an impaired immune system.

In 2011 Elain’s mother Bridget Harpwood launched ApêlElain, a fundraising effort to support charities that provide support and care for Elain, and has raised over £130,000 for various charities.

Ty Hafan provides vital support for the whole family, including their baby daughter, Martha, offering short break care at the hospice and vital emotional and practical support for Bridget and her family at their home in Aberystwyth.

In May 2020, 54 people formed team ApêlElain and completed Ty Hafan’s Marathon in May.

Bridget said: “Elain loves Ty Hafan. It is a lifeline for us and helps us to create special memories which we’ll cherish forever.

“The Marathon in May challenge in 2020 was a great way for us to focus our energy on something positive and active to get through another month of lockdown.

“Elain was gifted a brand-new all-terrain buggy early on in the pandemic. Having this new mode of transport for her meant that we now had many more options of where we could walk and run!

“My tips and advice to anyone participating in the challenge this year is to get yourself organised! Plan out your month, set up your fundraising page and blog about your journey.”

To register for Marathon in May 2021, go to www.tyhafan.org/marathon-in-may