I love to run. It is something I do that challenges me and keeps me balanced. Running the 2025 London Marathon for Beat has given me a completely new way to look at my running.
“When you run in your Beat vest, I want you to know that you will be sharing a message of hope, resilience, and recovery for all of those affected by eating disorders.” ~ Charlotte (Beat Fundraising Team).
Running with a Beat vest on at the 2025 London Marathon has been one of the highest privileges of my life. Shouts of “Come on Beat!”, “Go Beat, go!” still echo through my head, a week or so after the marathon.
I decided to raise money for Beat in memory of my youngest sister, Eunice, who passed away at the age of 33, after battling anorexia for a long time. If the money raised could help and give hope to just a single person or family, then for me it was worth doing.
In August 2024, when I found out I was fortune enough to be given one of Beat’s charity places, I wanted to raise lots of money! I started fundraising straightaway, especially because I knew that in the New Year lots of other people ask for sponsorship too.
Some things that worked well included:
I wanted to train well, knowing that a certain marathon time was not going to change anything. What it has given me is a deep sense of satisfaction knowing I persevered, especially when training and the marathon got hard… which it did, during the cold, dark winter nights when I didn’t want to go out the door for a run. Or, when on marathon day the temperature climbed up to 20 degrees Celsius and the cramps kicked in!
Whatever happened, I resolved myself to see the marathon as my ‘glory lap’ and a celebration of all we (my family and I) achieved in terms of the fundraising and training, which doesn’t just affect me but my whole family.
This quote really inspired me in the days leading up to the race:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?...
… And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
~ Marianne Williamson
I could talk endlessly about the race (just ask my family!). I could tell you about how the crowds were out of this world, about my nutrition and hydration plan to combat the heat or my other tactics to get the best out of the race and run a quick time. Peeling all that back, the race for me was deeply personal and something I wanted to do for my sister. I think that’s what kept me going, as well as all the people who had supported me or donated.
I finished in 1989th place, which was the year Eunice was born. The chances of that happening, are nigh on impossible. In some ways it means nothing, in other ways I see it as a precious gift confirming I was meant to run the race in Eunice’s memory.
Thank you Beat for giving me this special opportunity.
If you want to fundraise for Beat, take a look at our runs, treks and challenges here: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/support-our-work/fundraise-for-beat/take-on-a-challenge/
Or, choose your own fundraising activity here: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/support-our-work/fundraise-for-beat/diy-fundraising/
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