Having only taken up running at the age of 50, the first half marathon I ran was the Silverstone Half in 2012 when I ran for the NSPCC. Yesterday (Mother’s Day 2022) my daughter Charlotte and I ran the Cardiff Half Marathon, postponed from 2019. My timing was useless but, as my daughter said, “Taking into account your age, you have run it with virtually no training at all”. Indeed, out of almost 12000 runners only 138 were brave enough or foolish enough to run on a very warm Sunday – unexpected for this time of year.
Here’s why I did it…
A Cardiff woman motivated by court reporting runs in aid of NSPCC
A woman motivated by her career recording often harrowing accounts of children’s experiences will be running in the Cardiff Half Marathon to raise money for the NSPCC.
Miriam Boston who was born and brough up in Cardiff, but now lives In Wiltshire, spent much of her working life as a verbatim court reporter recording testimony in proceeding which often involved listening to accounts of cases involving children.
Miriam said, “There are three words in the acronym NSPCC that are vitally important, -Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Forty years ago, I first took a seat in Court 2 at Cardiff Crown Court as a trainee verbatim court reporter.
“Within a year, for the first time I heard of child sexual abuse. The memory has never left me. I found it so incredible to believe that someone trusted by a child, known to them as a relative or family friend could do something so awful.
“Throughout this time the NSPCC has been there to listen to children, to believe them and to help them. At 61, I have found it harder to motivate myself this year and if it were not for the NSPCC and what they do I am not sure I would have put my name down this time.”
This year Miriam will be running alongside her daughter Charlotte Weisinger who will be competing for the first time and they have set up a Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Charlotte-Weisinger-Miriam-Boston to encourage people to back them in their efforts to support the vital work that the NSPCC does to protect children.
She added; “Please support our efforts to ensure the NSPCC is there in the future by sponsoring us as we run the postponed 2020 Cardiff Half Marathon this Mother’s Day – Charlotte for the first time and me for the fifth and perhaps the last time.”