Fundraising Update! Progress on Celeste's challenge for Alzheimer’s Society and World Cancer Research Fund
2nd Jun 2026
Earlier this year we announced that one of our team, Celeste Melton, had undertaken an annual challenge to complete one half marathon a month from January to October, in aid of Alzheimer’s Society and World Cancer Research Fund.
Celeste shared an update on her progress, saying, "It's a real challenge. I’ve been running on and off since my teens, but now that I’m 61 and turning 62 in October, the effort feels more demanding than ever. I'm serious about training though - I've even turned my living room at home into a gym! It's great to feel my fitness and running times are improving - and my inspiration is the team at ASC Direct who give me their full support!
It's important to remember, I'm doing this in aid of Alzheimer’s Society and World Cancer Research Fund so please do donate whatever you can to these worthwhile charities."
Celeste’s Progress Report - the challenge so far...
- January 24th Clumber, Worksop – 9 miles – Done!
This first event was good - the course is hilly and the scenery is beautiful. It was good to get the first one completed!
- March 8th Penistone 6.5 miles - Done!
This event is along the Pennine Way and is relatively flat. This helped me to run a bit faster and build my confidence.
- March 21st Royston - 10 miles - Done!
The run at Royston was slightly hillier but I tried to keep the same pace as I'd achieved in Penistone.
- March 29th Sheffield (Half Marathons start here) - Done!
This was a tough run for me. The first 6 miles are all uphill - a real challenge - and it rained really hard. Plus after the race, I had some difficulties with phones and taxis. Having said that, I achieved my Personal Best Half Marathon time!
- April 19th Leeds Temple Newsam - Done!
This run has some elements of cross-country so has brilliant scenery and is great for fitness but is tough to run, particularly as a I wanted to run quite fast and improve on my time.
- May 10th Leeds Headingley Stadium - Done!
This event was amazing and is the biggest with 16,000 people taking part. I wanted to follow good running advice, start slow and build my pace gradually. When it came to speeding up for the last few miles, I ran really quickly, even overtaking other runners, and ran the last mile in 12 minutes.
I was so proud to knock 1/2 an hour off Half Marathon time in 6 months.
- June 14th Roche Abbey
- July 11th Slaithwaite, Huddersfield
- August 22nd– Leeds Canal, Kirkstall
- September 19th – Leeds/Liverpool Canal
- October 25th - TBC
Sponsor Celeste!
To sponsor Celeste, please click the relevant link below:
Alzheimer’s Society is https://gofund.me/dd9b66b35
World Cancer Research Fund is https://gofund.me/19439ebc5
Celeste wants to raise as much money as possible for these causes so please consider giving as much as you can.
Support for Alzheimer's Society
Alzheimer’s Society are working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives by giving help to those living with dementia today and providing hope for the future by campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be and funding groundbreaking research.
Support for World Cancer Research Fund
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) is a leading global network of charities dedicated to cancer prevention and survival research, focusing specifically on the links between diet, weight, and physical activity. Founded in 1990, it funds research, influences policy, and provides evidence-based information to help people reduce their risk of developing cancer.