Before the London Marathon 2025, where I went to support loved ones running it, if you’d told me I’d start running, I’d have asked you what I was running from—and why?!
I don’t run. I can’t run. I’ve had three children—those days are over. I couldn’t possibly…
But something in the air inspired me that day.
Before I knew it (or had time to properly think), I’d entered the ballot. When I was signing up, I noticed one of the charities you could run for was Shelter—a charity very close to my heart for personal reasons—and it just felt right.
I signed up, submitted the application, and SOMEHOW… I got in.
As I said… I didn’t run. I didn’t even run occasionally at the time. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself in for.
I still remember my first run. It wasn’t pretty—more of a shuffle than a run—and I spent most of it questioning every life decision that had led me there. But I kept going. Slowly, week by week, it got a little easier. Not easy… just easier.
There were definitely moments where I doubted myself. Long runs in the cold, juggling training with work, being a mum and a nana—it wasn’t always easy. But every time I finished a run I didn’t think I could do, it built something in me. A quiet confidence I hadn’t felt in a long time.
The first really big run that made me nervous was when I was on holiday in Tenerife. I’d never run in the heat before (thanks a lot, England), but that day was forecast to be 25 degrees—and I had 26km to run.
I set off before the sun came up to try and avoid the heat, but it didn’t make much difference. It was, by far, the hardest run I’ve ever done. I felt awful the entire time.
Funnily enough, that afternoon it rained—and for the rest of the holiday we had cold weather… typical. But nevertheless, I did it.
And somewhere along the way, something shifted.
It gave me purpose outside of being a mum, nana and a business owner. It gave me actual solo me-time and mental clarity. It gave me a reason to educate myself on what real self-care looks like—resting, recovery, and understanding what foods to eat and why.
And it meant that other people poured love into my cup; supporting me, researching things with me, helping to educate me.
There was one slight caveat: in order to run the marathon, I needed to raise £2.5K. That, in itself, is a mammoth task—especially while taking on the equally mammoth challenge of training for a marathon! But I’ve always loved a challenge.
The girls at TFP came up with the concept of Run Florist Run—a charity evening hosted at The Flower Plant, where we could lean into the community we’ve built over the last (nearly) nine years: customers, suppliers, friends, and family.
We had over 25 prizes donated by local businesses and a great turnout on the night.
There were bespoke “Shelter” bouquets, ‘guess the stem’ and ‘guess the time’ games, a lucky dip, complimentary Prosecco, and Shelter cupcakes kindly donated by Amy Bakes!
100% of the profits made that evening on anything TFP-related were donated. The entry fees, along with anything raised through games and the raffle, were donated too. We raised an incredible £800 that evening alone towards my fundraising efforts.
The day of the marathon came, and after all our efforts to raise £2,500, we ended up smashing that—raising over £3,000 for Shelter. And I absolutely smashed the marathon too.
I ran over that finish line with the biggest smile on my face, with my entire family and friends cheering me on at almost every mile (yes… my family really is that big!).
Will I run a marathon again? Probably not…
Did I soak up and love every second despite all of my fears? Absolutely.
Thank you again to the incredible local businesses that supported me in this—it means the world to me.
Thank you to my friends and family who supported me through the training, gave me advice, came on runs with me, or cycled alongside me on the really long ones.
And most importantly, thank you to every single person who donated to help me achieve my goal for Shelter.
Because every person deserves a home—and this charity ensures people are supported, advocated for, and helped out of housing crises.
The London Marathon was exactly what I needed it to be, and I had no idea THIS was what I was signing up for.
