Sarah's Marathon Challenge

Having lived in Myanmar for over 2.5 years I couldn’t help but be aware of the impact conflict has had on some of the poorest regions of this country.  So, in 2018 I’ve set myself the challenge of running 12 marathons in 12 different countries for charity.  And just because I like numbers – I’m also going to do set an additional goal to run a total of 2018km across the year.
 
A little more on what is going on in Myanmar:

Years of conflict in Myanmar has left hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people in camps in Kachin, Shan, Kayin and Rakhine states.  Displaced people continue to live in over-crowded conditions in shelters that were meant to be temporary and lack basic human rights.  The challenges faced by women and children are particularly pronounced in remote and conflict-affected areas leaving them vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking and abuse.

 In Rakhine the provision of aid has been severely interrupted by the violence in late 2017.  Restricted access has exacerbated existing needs and created new ones.  Since late August, more than 655,000 people have fled Myanmar's Rakhine State into Bangladesh following fighting in the area with widespread violence, death and destruction having been reported in both local and international news. 

 Whilst the marathons I run this year will be tough this is insignificant compared to the struggle these people live with on a daily basis.

The money raised will be split between the following charities:

Center for Social Integrity is an international organization focused on protecting, building peace, and promoting pluralism and tolerance amongst Myanmar's diverse ethnic communities with a focus in Rakhine State.

https://www.centerforsocialintegrity.org/

Community Partners International is a nonprofit organization working for nearly 20 years to address the health needs of Myanmar's underserved populations, particularly in conflict-affected, low-resource and remote areas.  They are also rapidly scaling up their operations in Cox's Bazar to meet the needs of refugees displaced by ongoing violence in Northern Rakhine State, Myanmar.

https://www.cpintl.org/about-us.html 

*** All donations will be distributed to the above charities and I will be covering all Marathon expenses personally ***

 
Follow on:
WordPress - https://seastonmarathonchallenge.wordpress.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/seaston.marathonchallenge/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/163401454386290/

 
The schedule:
 
1) Yoma Yangon International Marathon (Myanmar), January 21, 2018 - 5th female in 3:31)
 
2) IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Full Marathon (India), February 04, 2018  - 1st female in 3:25)


 
3) Bhutan International Marathom (Bhutan), March 03, 2018  - 1st female in 3:42)



4) Run The Great Wall Marathon (China), April 15, 2018 - 1st female in 4:57)
https://rungreatwall.com/

5) Marathon de la Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel (France), May 27, 2018 - 3rd female in 3:22)
http://www.runinmontsaintmichel.com/en/

 

6) Midnight Sun Marathon (Norway), June 16, 2018 -  - 6th female in 3:28
http://www.msm.no/midnight-sun-marathon.242498....

 
7) Angkor Empire Marathon (Cambodia), August 05, 2018 - 3rd female in 3:33
https://worldsmarathons.com/marathon/the-angkor...

 
8) Bangkok Midnight Marathon (Thailand), August 26, 2018 - 3rd non-elite female 3:33
http://www.bangkokmidnightmarathon.com/


9) Vietnam Mountain Marathon (Vietnam), September 23, 2018 - 1st female, 6:42
https://vietnammountainmarathon.com/en/

 
10) Hong Kong 50, October 20, 2018 - 5th female, 6:35


 
11) Penang Marathon (Malaysia), November 25, 2018 - 10th female, 3:38
http://www.penangmarathon.gov.my/portal/


 
12) Singapore Marathon (Singapore) - December 8, 2018



 Finally, a massive thank you for any donations you can make - I'll be sending some updates throughout the year to keep you posted on my progress.

 Sarah