Breast Cancer Moon Walk

A report on a very eventful "Moon Walk" in aid of Breast Cancer research.

What have I let myself in for? - walking a marathon around London all night with 15,000 women and a few men in decorated bras. Two weeks before the big day 6 of us did a 20 mile walk on what must have been the hottest day of this year hobbling to the end with blisters on most of my toes. I thought "How on earth am I going to do 26 miles with feet like this?" With help from the nurse and lots of blister plasters I was ready.

When we arrived at Hyde Park there was the most enormous pink tent I have ever seen. Once inside, we all had pasta for supper whilst listening to a group playing 60's music which made you want to get up and dance, but I decided I had better save myself for what was to come. We were all told to hold hands and just let our energies run through each other and have a minute's silence and think of all those ladies who have lost their lives to breast cancer. We all then finished by singing "You'll Never Walk Alone", swaying with our arms in the air. I don't think there was a dry eye in that pink tent; it was absolutely awesome; the memory of it will stay with me for ever.

The green group, 5,000 of us, set off in the rain (which soon stopped) through Hyde Park. Looking around in almost every direction there was a mass of pink-hatted people jostling and shuffling to get into their right stride. As we past each mile sign a cheer rang out, and that happened all through the night right to the finish. Our route took us through Hyde Park to Big Ben; along the embankment and across Tower Bridge; back along the other side to Battersea Park; then a tour of London streets before returning along the north bank to Westminster and back to Hyde Park.

There were hundreds of marshals doing a brilliant job giving us lots of encouragement with comments like "Good morning ladies; did you sleep well?" and when we were handed finger sized bananas and segments' of orange, "We do spoil you all." Even the traffic joined in the fun by blowing their horns and waving. There were toilets every four miles but it still wasn't enough; there were mile size queues at all stops including a Battersea petrol station. Around this time dawn was beginning to break. I heard a Nightingale singing for the first time - no, it wasn't in Berkley Square! As the early morning sun came out so did all the fancy bras. We all must have looked a right sight! By now lots of limping ladies were about, including one of my friends - her best blister decided to burst two miles from the finish. The three of us took it in turns to help her to the finishing line. "Yes! We've made it!" - a bit sore and with some blisters - but who cares? - We had done it. Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! What a night to remember. No words can describe how I feel, even today a week later.

At this point I would like to thank everyone who sponsored me. I have raised £160 so far.

In 2007 the Moon Walk raised five million for breast cancer, so here's hoping for six million this year.

Margaret Pickston