A Torfaen woman ran an ultra-marathon last Sunday (16 July) to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity. Rhian Maloney chose the charity after her husband, Paddy Maloney, passed away in May 2022 from the disease.

Rhian, 35, from Pontypool, completed  The Dragon 50. The route followed the Wales Coast Path from Kenfig Reserve to Cardiff Bay. She has already raised over £2,600 but wants to remind people that you can still make a donation to her fundraising page.

She told Cwmbran Life: “The event meant a huge amount to me. I ran it for Paddy. Every step.

“I was really nervous and anxious heading into Sunday. It has been an incredibly emotional journey. With the amazing support, messages and donations, I wanted to make everyone, including Paddy, proud by completing the challenge and hitting the fundraising target.

“Running further than 34 miles was an unknown for me. I had no idea how my body would react to the bigger distance. Would I get the fueling, hydration and pacing right on the day? I stuck to the race plan and that paid off. I worked my way through the field to finish as the third lady. That was a lovely bonus.

“The atmosphere and support on the course was absolutely brilliant. That route holds lots of memories for us.

“A heartfelt and genuine thank you to everyone who helped in training and on the day. From the support and donations, the friendly faces popping up along the route, waving and cheering, the company and camaraderie of some amazing people and runners, the Run Walk Crawl event crew and volunteers, to the fantastic reception at Cardiff Bay.

“There were a few tears, happy and sad, at the finish line. The race finish was incredibly special and is a memory that I will cherish.”

She completed the 50-mile course in 9 hours 37 minutes and recorded making 105,471 steps.

Rhian added: “Every step and every donation has been in memory of Paddy. If you are able to share this page or make a donation it makes a huge difference in the fight against brain tumours.”

Paddy, 56, was a well-known sports massage therapist who ran his business, The Milo Clinic, from a room in the former Globe Hotel in Pontypool. Before that he and Rhian ran Supplement Central, a health food and sports supplement shop in Cwmbran town centre.

Photo credit

Thanks to Daz’s Photography for permission to use the photo of Rhian during the race.