Sheffield Mum wants to empower women ahead of half marathon on Sunday

Thousands of runners are expected to be taking part in the 3.1 mile run which starts in the city centre.

Mum-of-three Harriet Samworth, 43, from Hillsborough, will be running on Sunday and hopes to empower women in the process as part of the 'Run for Women' campaign set up by the Young Women's Christian Association Yorkshire.

She is raising money for the YWCA Yorkshire who help support vulnerable young women, children and families in the region providing them with accommodation and individual support and a safe haven from abuse.

The charity, which has been open since 1978, have lost over £10,000 from their budget last year.

Speaking of her motivation for the run, she says: "There is a stigma against how women should look, and I want women to know that it's not about being skinny, it's about being strong.

"I want to empower women and support them, particularly young women. It's hard to imagine what it's like going through all these things at a young age. They need the support."

Harriet 's three daughters are aged 16 to 24 and she says this is one of the reasons why she chose the charity.

"I had my first daughter at 19, and was lucky to have an incredibly supportive family. I can’t imagine how hard it would have been without them.”

She still gets support from her family now adding: "My dad is cycling the route so he can cheer me on along the way and I'm really grateful for that."

However she is no stranger to running, having completed numerous 10K runs locally.

From 1st January to 31st she ran every day between 2-4KM for the charity 'Mind' and she is a regular at the Hillsborough Park Run.

As for her feelings ahead of the run: "I am really nervous, but excited and I will treat myself to a bun when it's done!"

To donate to her cause go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/harriet-samworth1

For more information about the marathon go to: https://www.runforall.com/events/half-marathon/sheffield-half-marathon/