A Brecon father is set to return to the start line of the Chester Half Marathon this weekend, joined once again by his brothers-in-law, in a bid to raise money for Wales Air Ambulance.

Simon Jones, 40, who has lived in Brecon all his life and works at PCI Pharma Services in Hay-on-Wye, will be taking on the 13.1-mile challenge for the second year in a row this Sunday (May 18). His motivation is personal, professional - and deeply rooted in family.

Simon, a line leader at PCI’s Hay site, ran the race last year alongside his brothers-in-law, Tom Price and Ben Keylock, turning the event into both a fundraising challenge and a family reunion. All three men are married to three sisters whose family is based in Chester.

“It was a fantastic opportunity for us all to come together, run and fundraise,” said Simon.

“I didn’t have to think twice about doing it again this year. The Wales Air Ambulance is such a worthy cause.”

The charity has a direct link to Simon’s workplace too. PCI’s Hay-on-Wye site selected Wales Air Ambulance as its chosen charity partner for 2023–2025. Staff have since visited the charity’s Cardiff Heliport, where they saw the service’s advanced equipment and met some of the crew.

“You cannot truly understand the scale of what they do until you see it up close,” said Simon.

“It was quite extraordinary to see inside the helicopter and get a run of all the kit they carry.

“It’s unbelievable the amount of stuff they take with them, from blood products to ultrasound devices and special baby pods.”

Wales Air Ambulance provides consultant-led emergency care across the country, delivering treatments usually only found in hospital emergency departments directly to the scene of an incident. It responds to around 3,500 missions every year and relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million needed annually to stay operational.

Kate Thomas, the charity’s regional fundraising manager for Powys, praised the trio’s dedication.

“It’s fantastic how Simon and his brothers-in-law turned their running challenge into a massive family reunion, whilst raising funds for our lifesaving service,” she said.

“We cannot thank them enough for all the hard work they put in to get themselves over the finish line.

“Without our supporters, we wouldn’t be able to continue to do what we do.”

For Simon, last year’s race was emotional. Despite nerves before his first half marathon, he crossed the line in an impressive 1 hour 34 minutes.

Simon says the final stretch was the hardest part.

“It was like one big hill, at that point I really felt like stopping,” he said.

“But then I thought about those who work for the air ambulance and the people they help, it spurred me on to keep running up that hill.”

Waiting at the finish line was his extended family, including his daughters, wife, and her relatives. And one special reward stood out: “My wife’s uncle was there too, he was waiting with a pint of beer, because I decided in the months before that I wanted to take my training seriously and had cut out alcohol for a few months. That pint tasted lovely!”

Simon hopes his story will inspire others to consider supporting the Wales Air Ambulance.

“It’s often hard to put yourself in someone else’s position, but really you should just try, because you would want the best team to come to you if you were critically ill or injured,” he said.