Grant Thornton director to run world’s biggest half marathon

Sarah Major, a tax director at the Leicester office of business and financial advisory firm Grant Thornton, is heading to Newcastle upon Tyne this weekend to take on the Great North Run and raise funds for Cancer Research.

“Whilst I have always been pretty active, being a regular mountain climber and long distance walker, I have never really done much running, and certainly never run any kind of distance,” explains Sarah, who has worked for Grant Thornton at its East Midlands head office in Leicester for nearly five years.

“I will soon reach a ‘significant’ birthday, and want to do something to challenge myself and to mark this milestone.

“Running a half marathon, and indeed the world’s biggest one, seems a fitting challenge. I am also running it to raise funds for Cancer Research, in memory of my sister-in-law who we lost to the disease two years ago.”

The Great North Run takes place on Sunday 11th September when Sarah and the expected 56,000 runners will start the 13.1 miles in Newcastle upon Tyne, run through the city centre, over the iconic Tyne Bridge, onto Gateshead and South Shields, and the finish line.

“I am hoping to complete the half marathon in around 2 ½ hours,” says Sarah. “Despite a hamstring injury earlier this year, my 20-week training programme has gone well, and I have completed a 10-mile run, so I am sure I can do the distance.”