Manchester accountant tackles 50 half marathons for charity with support of colleagues
August 18th 2025
A Manchester based accountant is set to complete fifty half marathons in a single year in support of Parkinson’s UK and has started a running club with colleagues to help him complete the challenge.
Will Barron is an auditor for national accountancy and advisory firm MHA, the UK member firm of Baker Tilley International. He has been with the firm around three years, joining when he graduated from the University of Manchester in summer 2022.
Will, who is based at the firm’s Manchester office, has taken on the challenge in support of his Step Grandfather, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2017.
"When my Step Grandfather was diagnosed, the impact was not just on him, but on our whole family. Coupled with the knock-on effect of the diagnosis during the pandemic, I felt like I really wanted to do something for him and other families affected by this condition."
Will chose to take on the challenge initially as a one-off event with a friend, but as he has grown in confidence with distance running, he has chosen to push himself further by completing 50 half marathons in the space of a single year.
As part of Will’s training and to help increase his motivation, especially during the winter months, he has also started a running club where colleagues from MHA come together after work to run and train together. The group often completes the half marathon distance to support Will with his tally.
Will added: “When I began running in January, I broke my toe which made my first run in the challenge very difficult, but I was determined to carry on.
“Having friends from work join me in my training, and in some cases run the full distance, has really helped and given me the boost that I need, especially when conditions have been tough.
"My running journey has been a steep learning curve! When I started running in January, I was very new to the distance but as the weeks have progressed my confidence has grown and so has my fitness. I’m halfway through now and feeling really strong, so I’m looking forward to the next half of my challenge."
Russell Cooper, an audit partner in MHA’s Manchester office is a fellow member of the office’s running club.
He said: “The run club Will has created has brought a new community to the office, not only helping to keep one another fit, but also creating a real sense of camaraderie.
“It’s wonderful to see his hard work being put into practice with this mammoth half marathon challenge for a charity which Will has such a strong personal connection with. On behalf of everyone in the office, we wish him the very best of luck.”
Parkinson’s UK is a UK based charity that gives information and support to all people affected by the disease. The charity also funds research so that better treatment and a cure can be found. In 2023, £27.9 million was raised and the organisation supported over 19,000 people suffering with the illness.
You can sponsor him here.
