After running my first unofficial half marathon in October 2025 I caught the running bug. Running provided me with a certain freedom, the ability for my mind to switch off from work, enjoy the fresh air whilst listening to a playlist or podcast in the sunshine.
When signing up for my first official half marathon I had one goal in mind: to race on behalf of Beat.
At the age of 15-16 I was diagnosed with anorexia. During this period of my diagnosis I had no knowledge of the realities of this illness, having only seen scenes from films and television shows. When diagnosed I thought; I do not have whatever this is and I am definitely not sick.
After being admitted into a mental health hospital and sectioned, there was no doubt that I was in fact very ill. From being a healthy and happy teenager to an incredibly sick patient my life had drastically changed.
From being told that recovery would never be an option for me for several years, I reluctantly picked up that fork and haven’t stopped since.
Beat’s resources have been vital to me in my recovery. Not only have I been able to better understand my own anorexia, but equally Beat’s resources and work have helped me understand every type of eating disorder. Beat’s resources have assisted with opening my mind to the world that individuals with other forms of eating disorders face everyday through recovery stories, in addition to making their resources available to the public in order to raise awareness of this truly terrible illness, highlight common stereotypes and misconceptions.
Beat’s work is vital to eating disorder recovery and awareness, there was no other charity I had in mind. No other charity I would be more privileged and proud to wear on my running vest, raise money and support while running.
I had never fundraised on such a scale before, I was incredibly nervous but extremely excited to begin.
Beat were insanely supportive, providing me with helpful fundraising ideas, social media templates, a fundraising T-shirt and even a goodie bag!
Of course, I would not have been able to fundraise without my generous family, friends and colleagues, with whom I am truly grateful for their unwavering support.
Persistence and updates! Once completing my weekly long run or even a run in my training programme that I was particularly proud of, I would create a post on my socials to update people on my training/fundraising progress and included a link to my JustGiving page.
Each post received a lot of engagement and donations, I consider that people enjoyed seeing my progress and wanted to be part of the journey too!
Race day, of course!
Running down the Royal Mile steeped in history, to the stunning landscapes of Arthur’s Seat, along Portobello Beach and to the finish line. The sun was shining (maybe a couple of degrees hotter than we would have liked, which was a shock being in Scotland) but it was a blissful course and a privilege to run alongside thousands, each raising money for charities close to their own hearts.
I am convinced every resident of Edinburgh and their families, cats, dogs, etc… all collectively showed up to support us runners on race day. Calling our names, holding up banners, cheering us on, spraying us with water hoses, giving us orange slices, sweets, water and every ounce of proudness they could possibly manage.
It truly was a pinch me moment, and one I will never forget.
Even though the view of Edinburgh is not new to me, I’ll never get over the scenery, sunshine and joy of that day.
Go for it! If you can run 2.5k, you can run 5k, then if you can run 5k you can run 10k, if you can run 10k, you can run 15k and guess what? If you can run 15k you can run a half marathon!
Running is truly a mental game, and a training plan helped me with the mental aspect of training. Printing off my training plan as a chart helped with knowing the exact run I should be doing on each training day, there were no surprises and shocks and I was able to enjoy the run.
Being able to tick off my run at the end of that day was such a thrill knowing I was one run closer to race day!
Keeping your goal in mind is crucial while preparing for a run, during a run and if you’re struggling mentally or physically on a run. Not only did my training plan get me through my runs but so did the fact that I would be racing for Beat. I wanted to do the charity, myself, my loved ones and every single person who donated proud. There is no better motivation than that.
Feeling inspired by Hollie's challenge? Take a look at what fundraising activities you can take part in - including places at the Edinburgh Marathon Festival: Runs, Treks & Challenges
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