I never thought I would be able to train for a half marathon at all. For me it is a very big step,writes Adam Bathe, a youth worker at Headington Baptist Church who ran yesterday's Oxford Half Marathon.

I never thought I could run. Eight months ago I was nearly 17 stone. Then I went to South Sudan in Africa and I came back weighing about 15 stone and I heard about the Oxford Half Marathon.

I went to South Sudan to a very remote area with the Church Mission Society (CMS) in February this year to do youth work and to train youth workers and returned in June. I went on my own and I didn’t know anybody.But once I had done that I felt I could do anything.

When I got back I started to run and then I just started really enjoying it. That taught me about perseverance and endurance.

I went out on the Saturday before the half marathon and ran 12 miles, which was the furthest I had ever run.

It has taught me that through God, anything is possible. So when young people say I cannot do this, it gives me more faith to say – ‘yes you can.’