Last updated: Thursday, 21 March 2024
“The Colour Run is an absolute bucketful of fun! It’s a sea of colour, vitality, and vibrance, and it’s an amazing day out for all the family.”
Every year hundreds of people across Somerset take part in the most colourful event of the year, The Colour Run , bringing a burst of colour to the county in support of hospice care.
For some it’s a chance to take on a friendly running challenge in crazy, colourful outfits or have a fun day out with their family. But for others it’s an opportunity for them to remember their loved ones and say thank you to the hospice for the incredible support they’ve given them.
And for avid runner and St Margaret’s supporter Jon Witney, it’s all of the above!
Jon first took part in the Colour Run back in 2016 as he wanted to take on a challenge and give something back to the hospice to thank them for the ‘amazing support’ they gave to his friend, Woody, at the end of his life, and he hasn’t looked back since…
“Woody was a PE teacher at a local school, and he was a great friend of mine,” Jon explained. “He got me into sport which is now a huge part of my life, and I will be forever grateful to him for that.
“In 2015, Woody was diagnosed with cancer, and it all took hold very quickly. Woody had amazing care throughout his illness and spent his final days on the In-patient Unit at St Margaret’s.
“The only way I can describe St Margaret’s is that it was an oasis of calmness for us all at an extremely difficult time. Help was on hand for Woody and his family and friends whenever we needed it which meant the world to us. It’s an amazing place with incredible people who made those last few moments so much easier for us all.
“A few months after Woody died, I found out about the Colour Run and it just seemed to fit with exactly what we were looking for. We wanted to do something to give back to the hospice in memory of Woody and take on a fun, physical challenge, it was right up our street! We signed up almost instantly and we don’t regret it as we had an epic experience!”
In the last 8 years, Jon and his family have taken part in the Colour Run 7 times in memory of Woody and said they would describe the event as ‘a great excuse to get messy and do something fun with a great story behind it.’