Jonathan isn't just running for a medal.

He's running for Access the Dales.

He's running in memory of our great friend Andy North.

And he's running so that many more people living with disabilities can discover that the countryside really is for them.

Jonathan is well known throughout the walking community as the founder of Where2Walk, one of the UK's most respected walking websites, featuring hundreds of carefully researched routes across the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District, Northumberland and beyond. A qualified Mountain Leader, guidebook author and navigation trainer, he has spent a lifetime encouraging people to discover Britain's hills and mountains. Today, he also serves as a Trustee and walking guide for Access the Dales, helping to make the outdoors accessible to everyone.

But behind all those achievements lies something much more important.

Friendship.

More than twelve years ago, Jonathan met Debbie and Andy North for a walk to Gordale Scar in the Yorkshire Dales. At the time, Debbie was already using an all-terrain wheelchair following life-changing spinal surgery. Many people assumed that mountain walks were now impossible.

Jonathan and Andy never saw it that way.

Instead, they looked at the landscape differently. Rather than seeing barriers, they began to see possibilities.

That first walk sparked an idea that would grow far beyond any of them could have imagined. Together they began exploring routes that could be adapted for all-terrain wheelchairs, proving that many of Britain's most spectacular places were not beyond reach after all.

Over the following years, the three friends shared countless adventures.

They climbed summits across the Yorkshire Dales.

They explored hidden valleys in the Lake District.

They completed the iconic Coast to Coast Walk.

They celebrated spectacular sunsets, battled driving rain, laughed through bogs, and occasionally questioned whose bright idea it had been to tackle yet another steep climb.

Every mountain reached together challenged perceptions of disability.

Every photograph told a story.

Every adventure demonstrated that with the right equipment, planning and determination, far more was possible than people believed.

Then, in 2021, everything changed.

Andy was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and, just eight weeks later, he sadly passed away.

His loss left a huge hole in the lives of everyone who knew him.

Yet Andy's passion for the outdoors refused to end there.

From that heartbreak grew Access the Dales — a charity dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities can continue creating their own outdoor memories.

Jonathan has been there every step of that journey.

As a Trustee, guide and friend, he has helped transform one simple idea into a charity that is changing lives.

Last year alone, more than 500 people benefited from Access the Dales.

Children who never thought they would reach a mountain viewpoint.

Adults living with life-changing disabilities rediscovering the freedom of open spaces.

Families enjoying adventures together that once seemed impossible.

People experiencing the Yorkshire Dales, Forest of Bowland and beyond for the very first time.

These aren't simply walks.

They are moments of confidence returning.

Moments of independence.

Moments when someone realises they haven't lost their love of nature after all.

That is exactly why Jonathan is lacing up his running shoes this September.

Training for a half marathon is never easy. It demands early mornings, aching legs, determination and commitment. There will undoubtedly be days when running feels like the last thing he wants to do.

But every training run has a purpose.

Every mile represents another opportunity to help someone experience their first accessible adventure.

Every donation helps us continue expanding our work, maintaining our fleet of all-terrain wheelchairs, training volunteers, supporting community groups and creating unforgettable days in the countryside.

At Access the Dales, we believe the outdoors belongs to everyone.

No one should be excluded because of disability.

No child should grow up believing mountains are only for other people.

No adult should lose their connection with nature because accessible equipment isn't available.

Jonathan understands that better than most because he has witnessed, first-hand, the joy that outdoor adventures bring.

He has stood alongside Debbie on mountain summits where many believed a wheelchair could never go.

He has seen the smiles, the tears and the overwhelming sense of achievement when people rediscover what they thought they had lost forever.

Now he needs your help.

Whether you can donate £5 or £50, every contribution makes a genuine difference.

Together, we can help more families enjoy accessible adventures.

Together, we can open more countryside to more people.

Together, we can continue Andy's legacy.

So on 13 September, as Jonathan runs from Newcastle to South Shields, know that every stride carries a little piece of that first walk to Gordale Scar, every mile honours Andy's memory, and every step brings someone else closer to experiencing the freedom of the countryside.

Please support Jonathan if you can.

Because this isn't just about running 13.1 miles.

It's about making sure the next person who dreams of reaching the top of a hill gets the chance to do exactly that.

Please donate via Jonathan's JustGiving page and help us keep making the inaccessible, accessible.