Frontiers’ volunteers have always been at the forefront of community and societal responses. Hannah Devine shares her experience running the 2024 London Marathon in support of Mind. 

What is your background and role at Frontiers? 

“I’m the journal manager of Frontiers in Oral Health and Frontiers in Dental Medicine, where I work alongside an amazing matrix team. I’ve worked at Frontiers for four and a half years across a range of journals in the health portfolio. I have a master's degree in nutritional sciences, and before working at Frontiers, I had a career in finance.” 

What does the organization you fundraised for do? 

“Mind is an amazing UK-based mental health charity. Each year 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem, and Mind does incredible work in local communities by giving support, advice, and empowerment to individuals, ensuring no one has to face their mental health battles alone. 

“As well as supporting individuals, they also campaign for change in the way that people experiencing mental health issues are treated within healthcare and the law and promote discussion to remove the stigma around mental ill-health. 

“In the year 2022-23 Mind helped more than 130,000 people who accessed their support lines, and their online resources were accessed more than 23.3 million times. Mind also continues to relentlessly petition the government to update the outdated Mental Health Act law in the UK, as well as improving standards of care for those seeking treatment, and helps people find support, which can be inaccessible in the current climate. 

“Mind also provides support and training to improve mental wellbeing in the workplace, including promoting anti-discrimination policies and working to be anti-racist, and provides workplace training and resources for employees and employers.” 

What was your motivation for choosing this organization and running a marathon? 

“I’ve struggled with poor mental health in the past and have been aware of the work that Mind does reduce the stigma around talking about mental illness as well as mental health. After losing a friend to suicide in 2022, I wanted to raise money and awareness, and running a marathon seemed like an achievable, but still very challenging goal! 

“I was absolutely delighted to be given one of Mind’s places for the London Marathon, which is really iconic and places are in high demand. Running a marathon is hard, but nowhere near as hard as struggling with hidden illness or losing a loved one.” 

How did you prepare for this challenge? 

“I followed a 16-week training plan, which got me from running twice a week to racking up 60 km (37 miles) a week and going into the marathon confident I would be able to make the distance. I also made use of my nutrition degree to make sure I was fueling effectively in the run up to and during the race, which definitely paid off. 

“I’m grateful for the support of all my amazing friends and colleagues who have been so generous with their donations and encouragement. I was initially more worried about the fundraising than the running, but I have been blown away by everyone’s generosity.” 

What did you learn from the experience? Would you do it again? 

“Absolutely, I’ve already entered the ballot for a place next year! I learned that I am stronger than I thought and have real resilience in taking on hard challenges. I made some new friends along the way and have come away with not only a medal (and a blister), but an inordinate amount of gratitude and love for everyone who supported me along the way.” 

What advice would you give to those looking to get involved in volunteering and fundraising activities? 

“Choose something that’s challenging for you, and for a cause that you deeply care about. When the going gets tough (putting on your trainers in the middle of February gale), you will need the motivation of knowing that you’re doing it for a bigger cause to give you the boost you need. On fundraising, be vocal about what you’re doing and don’t be scared to promote the cause and let people know why you’re doing it.” 

What an accomplishment! We congratulate Hannah on completing the London Marathon and supporting Mind. Alongside many of Hannah's friends, family, and fellow Frontons, Frontiers has contributed to Hannah's fundraising efforts on behalf of Mind to help achieve her goal. 

To sponsor Hannah and support Mind, please visit this page. 

Frontiers is a signatory of the United Nations Publishers COMPACT. This interview has been published in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.   

About Frontiers  

Founded in 2007, Frontiers is the 3rd most-cited and 6th largest scientific publisher. We publish rigorously peer-reviewed, quality-certified research by the world's top experts. Scientists empower society and our mission is to accelerate scientific collaboration by making science open. We place the researcher at the center of everything we do and enable the research community to develop the solutions we need to live healthy lives on a healthy planet. Featuring custom-built technology, artificial intelligence, and rigorous quality standards, our research articles have been viewed more than 2.6 billion times, reflecting the power of research that is open for all.