PULL on your hiking boots...or your wellies…or even your flip flops on National Walking Day as the UK’s largest meningitis charity is inviting everyone to join their new Marathon Month challenge.

Rather than running a complete marathon in a day, Meningitis Now is asking people to sign up to walk the full 26.2 miles over the course of a month.

One Meningitis Now supporter who plans to get involved is Julia Styles, who lost her daughter Emily to meningitis aged just 19 in 2014.

Julia has supported the charity for years following her daughter’s tragic death. “Kind, thoughtful” Emily died on New Year’s Day just before she was about to take up a place at university to study to become a special needs primary school teacher.

Since then, mum Julia has raised or donated thousands of pounds to Meningitis Now, as well as been involved in other fundraising efforts.

She said she loved the simplicity of the Marathon Month challenge. “It’s such a great idea to get involved in something like this that anyone can do, at any time of the year.

“What I really like about this is the idea of bringing a group together to do something for a great charity.

“As someone who has been bereaved and had to cope with a lot of grief, I find getting out into the fresh air can be really healing.”

To find out more about Marathon Month visit meningitisnow.org.