“The 29th March 1986 changed my life forever.”
This year the Sheffield Half Marathon falls on Sunday 29th March. That date already holds a very special meaning for one of our Team SHC runners. Helen met her husband Ian forty years ago to the day.
“I was 18 years old, enjoying my night on the Roxy Nightclub dancefloor when I met this rather handsome 19-year-old,” Helen explained. “I was slightly devastated when the nightclub shut, but then we were both stood waiting at the same bus stop. We talked the whole way home and the rest is history!”
The pair got married in 1992 and went on to have two sons, George and William.
Ian’s job as a mechanical engineer took him abroad and while he was working away in the USA, he started to mention having headaches frequently and feeling dizzy.
“It was a different climate over there so at first, we put it down to the heat. He was fit and healthy, a runner just like the rest of the family so you just don’t think anything of it.” When he returned home to England and his headaches continued, Ian had further investigations and was diagnosed with a brain tumour in September 2023.
Despite several surgeries, at just 57 years old, Ian’s family gathered to say goodbye. Before he passed away in the December, Ian was able to donate multiple organs to save the lives of other people in need.
“We were given a gold heart badge that symbolises the generosity of organ donation and reminds you what your loved one has done for others. I’ve since written to the recipients of his organs and received letters from them back. It is incredible to know that he gave the gift of life to two other people and to hear from them directly meant the world.”
Helen and her two sons are running the Sheffield Half this year as part of Team SHC to raise funds and say thank you to the Neurology Critical Care staff who took care of Ian and their family at their toughest time.
“They were unbelievably dedicated to Ian and looked after us when we were broken. We wouldn’t have got through it without the staff there. We went back as a family one year after the anniversary, and we just knew we had to give back at some point. We wanted to do something that we felt would really make a difference. When I saw the date of the Sheffield Half, I knew it had to happen. Running has been like a therapy for us as a family.
“I’m really looking forward to it now. The support from the crowd is always incredible so I think we’ll all feel emotional but in a positive, beautiful way.”
We are incredibly grateful to supporters like Helen, who choose to run on behalf of Team SHC, and who honour their loved ones by giving back to the staff who cared for them.
If you would like to donate to Helen’s Half Marathon, visit their Justgiving page here.
Published: Thursday 26th of March 2026