RUNNING a half marathon was the hardest and best thing I have ever done, said a mother who wanted to give something back to the hospital that saved her son’s life.

Gail Folland, 48, who lives in Covingham, stood like a greyhound in the slips, straining upon the start at this year’s Severn Bridge Half Marathon back in August.

She ran to raise funds for the Great Western Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit, the place where her son Elliott was cared for by nurses for the first three months of his life.

Elliott was born 10 weeks prematurely in November 1993.

Gail said: “He is now a happy, healthy young man, living life to the full. But he wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the expert care he received during his three months in the SCBU.

“So I set myself the personal challenge of running the Severn Bridge Half Marathon to raise funds for the unit as a way of saying thank you to them.”

The determined mum trained four times a week for 15 weeks in preparation for the event, which she described as “both the hardest and best thing I've ever done”.

She said: “The half marathon was hard as it was a massive physical and emotional challenge.

“I've been running for over 10 years and I regularly run 10Ks, but had never attempted anything like this before, which is why I trained so hard as it was something I'd always wanted to do.

“The reason I chose to run the Severn Bridge Half is because the bridge holds personal significance for me. My dad, Byron Folland, was born in Wales but died of cancer in 1985 aged just 41, before the Second Severn Crossing was even built.

“He used to travel to and from Wales using the old bridge throughout his life. So this one holds special memories for me, which is why I thought it was the perfect place to run my first half marathon, while at the same time raising funds for a cause close to my heart.”

Also, the lady who was Elliott's 'named nurse' during his time in the unit - Rachel Douglas - retired from the SCBU at the end of August.

Gail said: “She was my absolute rock through some very tough times and we have been friends ever since.”

She has managed to raise more than £700 for the unit and she issued a big thank you to everyone who has sponsored her on this “amazing journey”.

Gail’s online sponsor page is still open and can be accessed by logging on to:

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/severnbridgehalfmarathon.