My Story

I’m running the London Marathon. Yes. ME! JUDE! 

The London Marathon!

That’s a sentence I never thought I’d write. But life is full of surprises and this might be my biggest one yet.

I’ve always wanted to run a marathon, but I never believed I had the strength (and the knees). The longest I’d ever run before training was 7k. A marathon is 42k. Lord help me!! I’ve been training since January—through a torn Achilles, a brutal flu, and all the self-doubt that comes with pushing beyond my limits. But I’m doing this. And I have one powerful reason to keep going.

I’m running for Lupus UK—a charity that means everything to me.

Lupus is a lifelong autoimmune disease that attacks the body’s own tissues. It can damage the skin, joints, heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain. There is no cure. It’s unpredictable, relentless, and cruel. Lupus UK not only funds research to find a cure but also supports those living with the condition.

My little sister, Rachael, had lupus. She fought it from a young age, enduring more than any child should ever have to. At just 16, lupus took her life.

Rachael was kind, loud, funny, and full of life. An absolute sweetheart. As the youngest in our family, she and I were incredibly close. Losing her shattered me. Even nearly 25 years later, I have never forgotten her.

This run is for her. And for every person battling lupus today.

I know the marathon will push me beyond my limits, mentally and physically. But no amount of pain or exhaustion I feel on that course will compare to what lupus sufferers endure every single day.

So I’m asking for your support. Please sponsor me and help Lupus UK continue their vital work. Every pound donated will make a difference.

London 2025 is set to be the biggest marathon ever—possibly even a Guinness World Record event! If I finish, does that mean I get to call myself a world record holder?

Let’s make this happen. Thank you for your support—every bit of encouragement means the world to me.

Wish me luck and give me your money. 

Thank you 

Jude xx