5,000 miles, 204 days
The fastest woman to run the coastline of Britain
Total distance: 5,026 miles (km)
Total elevation: 84,429m (ft)
Total days: 204
Money raised for Samaritans: £74,000 (plus £15,000 Gift Aid)
Running days: 198
People run with: 400
Pairs of trainers: 11
Calories consumed: 8,040,000kcal
The journey
“It is the 11 January 2025 and I am aware that on a day like today, I am pondering a run around the coastline of Britain through rose tinted spectacles.
We are on the Suffolk coast, where Shadow is helping me recover from a year which ended with a referral to the psychiatric crisis ward. I still have appointments in the diary during which doctors will attempt to understand what is wrong with my brain. But for now, we are in a place where we get to watch the sun rise over the sea every day and where we can run with uninterrupted views.
The coast is healing.
Which has got me thinking, what else can Britain’s coastline heal? “
Back to the beginning
When I was 10, my uncle, Tom Isaacs, walked around the coast of Britain. He was 33 years old and six years previously he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
I knew that both the Parkinson’s and the walk were unusual, because Uncle Tom was in the paper and he was invited to present the prizes at my school Prize Day. And although I was an incredibly proud ten year old, nothing about the situation was especially fantastic. Walking around the coast of Britain was just something that Uncle Tom did.
His achievement normalised big challenges for me and I’ll always be so grateful to him for showing me that it’s possible to take on crazy missions. Because Uncle Tom’s achievement meant, that from the age of just ten, I believed that I could do it too.
Why now?
Because both Britain and I could do with something to celebrate.
At the end of 2024 I was admitted to psychiatric crisis care after a bout of intense depression. And I found that when I was struggling, negative headlines were always close at hand. It’s difficult to heal and recover, build and grow when if we’re feeling downtrodden.
But through it all, our coastlines remain wonderful places, with nature, the people and industry which should all be celebrated. All over our island, Britain’s coast is thriving. I want to celebrate that. And in doing so, help make a difference to anyone who, for whatever reason, might be struggling.
Run 5240 miles
The aim is to run 200 marathons in 200 days, starting on 21 October 2025 on Sizewell Beach, Suffolk and finishing on the same beach on 9 May.
I will be following the coast path, keeping the sea on my left hand side, for the full clockwise loop of the island. I’ll be making a handful of ferry crossings covering about 10 miles of waterway.
Sticking to this schedule will make me the fastest woman to run the coastline of Britain.
Thank you to my supporters
Run Britain wouldn’t have been possible without my supporters, partners and sponsors.
Thank you to everyone who made the journey possible.
