Father nears end of 39 marathons challenge to support baby loss charityOlly Brown’s challenge is called Marathons for Miracles.Olly Brown (right) is running 39 marathons in 39 weeks to support baby loss charity Tommy’s (Olly Brown/PA)Sam Russell2 minutes ago
A young father is nearing the end of his challenge to complete 39 marathons in 39 weeks, one in each of England’s historic counties, to support baby loss charity Tommy’s.
Olly Brown and his wife Amy, both aged 34, of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, experienced miscarriage at 13 weeks in 2022.
Mr Brown, who manages a tax consultancy, said that “our eyes were opened to that world, it’s a club that no-one wants to be part of but you only know that it exists once you are part of it”.
“Miscarriage and baby loss is still quite taboo in our society and not very widely spoken about,” he said.
Olly Brown, 34, who is running 39 marathons in 39 weeks, one in each of England’s historic counties, to raise funds for baby loss charity Tommy’s. (Olly Brown/ PA)
He said that after speaking to friends who have been through similar things, and “particularly once our daughter was born and we were in a better headspace”, he started to plan a charity challenge.
Mr Brown, who now has a three-year-old daughter and a seven-month-old son with his wife, said he wanted to raise money for Tommy’s and to “create a sense of community, a way of bringing people together who have had these experiences”.
For his challenge, called Marathons for Miracles, he set out to find 39 different people with a relevant story to share, and to run each of the marathons with a different person.
He said some of these were people he already knew, and many were found through a social media campaign.
“Alongside the marathons we’ve been recording a podcast series,” he said.
“So every week I’ve had a 45-minute to hour-long podcast with the person I’m going to be running with that weekend, or them and their partner, to discuss what their experiences were and their reasons for wanting to run for Tommy’s and raise money for Tommy’s.
Olly Brown, 34, who is running 39 marathons in 39 weeks, one in each of England’s historic counties, to raise funds for baby loss charity Tommy’s. (Olly Brown/ PA)
“That has then teed up further conversations at the weekend and that in itself we’re hoping is going to be a great resource for people.”
He said there had been a “real mixture of running abilities but for the vast majority a marathon is a very long way and it’s not an easy thing to take on”.
He said that “a lot of the latter miles of the runs have been driven by a real motivation to do their experiences proud, do their babies proud and looking back and thinking if I can go through that and get out of the other side, I can manage the next four miles”.
Read More
Government backs air traffic control chief after thousands face travel chaos
Father calls on public to help find mother on the run in the UK with their sons
Woman avoids jail for fatal XL bully attack
Winter escapes and activities to end the year in style
Mr Brown said he was “not built for running” but that he was used to training from rowing.
On why he chose running for the challenge, he said: “With what we were aiming to do, I think running is the most accessible thing for people.
“All you need is a pair of trainers.”
Olly Brown, 34, who is running 39 marathons in 39 weeks, one in each of England’s historic counties, to raise funds for baby loss charity Tommy’s. (Olly Brown/ PA)
He said it had been “pretty hard” but “you get fitter and more used to running the distance and your body adapts, but certainly some of the early ones were interesting”.
The first marathon of his challenge was in Leicestershire on December 28 last year, and he has just two more to go – one near Brockenhurst in Hampshire on Sunday, and the final one on the north Norfolk coast on September 19.
He said he felt a “huge sense of pride for me and my family to have nearly done it”.
“It’s been a big commitment for us as a family,” he said.
“Our second was born in January. On week five of the challenge we welcomed a newborn and all the joy that comes with that, and challenges and lack of sleep.
“It’s been a huge year and we’re really proud of what we’ve done and luckily our fundraising totals are now starting to reflect the effort that’s gone in.”
His initial target was to raise more than £39,000 for Tommy’s, and more than £75,000 has been raised to date.
Kath Abrahams, chief executive of Tommy’s, said: “We are so grateful to Olly and all the runners joining him around the UK for taking on this extraordinary feat for Tommy’s.
“The shock and grief Olly and Amy experienced when they lost their first baby to a miscarriage is sadly shared by far too many families.
“We’re doing all we can to change that through our research, as well as offering expert support and information for those affected.”
For more details on the challenge and Tommy’s, visit www.marathonsformiracles.com/pages/about
MORE ABOUT