BURY pop star Suzanne Shaw has announced she will be taking on the ultimate running challenge in May 2021 when she plans to complete her first ultra-distance run.

The former Hear'say singer has committed to running non-stop for 19 hours in one day to help raise vital funds and awareness of the fact that 19 people committed suicide every day in the UK in 2019.

Starting at 10pm on Saturday, May 15 2021, Suzanne will run through the night, completing her challenge at 5pm on Sunday, May 16 with all funds raised going to Samaritans - a charity that provides support, day or night, for anyone who’s struggling to cope.

Suzanne will be completing the challenge alongside National Running Show CEO Mike Seaman and will be inviting runners to join her (virtually or physically depending on restrictions) as she takes on her challenge close to her home in Surrey.

Suzanne, 39, said: “The idea for this challenge started during a chat on our weekly Clubhouse Run Club with Mike from The National Running Show. I have always wanted to take on a bigger challenge and, having struggled with my own mental health in the past, wanted to do something that would do good whilst giving me a focus. I have never run longer than a few hours before and have just three months to prepare for the challenge so it’s going to be big for me!

“At the start of 2020, I changed my lifestyle completely to help improve my own mental health after struggling with anxiety and depression for 19 years. My only hope of ever finding ‘happy’ again was to make some drastic changes. I quit alcohol, went on a plant-based diet, started practicing meditation and mindfulness and took up running. I found that when I spoke out candidly about my mental health battles and documented the changes it resonated with so many others who were also struggling.

"I set up the ‘Shaw Happy Plan’, a wellness program that focuses on workouts, virtual runs, plant-based recipes and mindfulness chats, to try and help as many people as possible find their happy.”

The former St. Gabriel's R.C. High School pupil rose to fame after winning the talent contest Popstars and subsequently being a member of the record breaking band Hear'Say.

She went on to establish a career in musical theatre and the West End as well as working as a model and television presenter in her own right. She won the third series of the ITV skating show Dancing on Ice in 2008 and participated in the 'All Stars' series in 2014.

For updates on the challenge follow Suzanne journey on Instagram @suzi_shaw or to make a donation visit justgiving.com/fundraising/SuzanneShaw2021