THANK
YOU
RYAN!
We want to say a huge thank you to Back Onside supporter Ryan Bailey, who ran the Barcelona Marathon on Saturday 14th March to raise funds for Back Onside.
On Saturday 14th March, Ryan Bailey took on the incredible challenge of running the Barcelona Marathon, to raise awareness and vital funds for Back Onside. Ryan crossed the finish line in 03:56:52, raising an amazing £1,460 so far – and we couldn’t be more grateful for his support.
“The marathon as a whole was a great experience and knowing I was doing it for such a good cause gave me the motivation to keep going, knowing I couldn’t let people down. I did find it particularly hard though to be fair, the section along the beach with the sun directly on you was a killer.”
Ryan chose Back Onside to fundraise for his marathon because he had previously heard about the impactful work the charity carries out and the many individuals we supports through family friend John Paul, who is a trustee of Back Onside. Inspired by these conversations, Ryan explored the charity further by visiting our website, where he read through a number of powerful personal stories shared by individuals who bravely shared their stories after receiving help from Back Onside. This inspired Ryan, and ultimately led to his decision to support the charity through his marathon fundraising, wanting to contribute in a meaningful way to the important work we do. Hyan was supported every step of the way in Barcelona by a brilliant group of family and friends, including our very own John Paul, who were there to cheer him on.
“Having so many people over to help me was a lot of pressure at first, however as I started the race and got to the tougher parts of it seeing everyone cheering my name gave me a massive boost, even just knowing that they had come across to support me was massive in helping me finish the race, I’m not sure if I could have finished it without them. Huge thank you to everyone who got involved in Ryan’s fundraiser – the friends and family who flew out with him, everyone who donated, shared or sent their well wishes has helped make his fundraiser so successful!”
If you’d like to get involved in a running event for Back Onside in 2026 – there are so many to choose from! We’re proud to be a registered charity partner of justrunning, meaning it couldn’t be easier to sign up. If you’re aiming for your first ever 5k, ticking another marathon off the list or anything in between, each and every fundraiser makes such a difference. Click here to browse Scottish running events in 2026, and get in touch if you have any questions. We’re here to help!
