A RUNNER finished 36 marathons in 36 days – despite being told she wouldn’t live past 16.
Fitness coach Sophie Holmes, 32, set the record by completing the Edinburgh Marathon.
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Sophie, who has cystic fibrosis, has already raised £25,000 from the challenge which started with the London Marathon.
She is the first person with the disease to run 36 marathons in 36 days.
Cystic fibrosis causes mucus in the lungs and at four months old, doctors said Sophie, from Southend, Essex, would not live past 16.
She said: “My determination to survive, thrive and defy the odds was born probably as early as I can remember.
“When I turned 19, unfortunately I was told I only had two years to live.
“But, naive 19-year-old me wasn’t going to let that happen.
“So I started pursuing these big goals.
“When I started getting better, they said, you might not make it to 30.
“So when I turned 30, I decided I wanted to celebrate by running 30 marathons in 30 days.
“But at the time we were in lockdown, so it wasn’t possible.”
She continued: “Last year I went to London for this year, and the Edinburgh Marathon and the idea was reborn because I thought, ‘I wonder how many days are left between these two races?’
“First I calculated it as 35.
“So I started telling everyone I was going to run 35 marathons in 35 days and then my coach counted down the days and said, ‘well, actually we’re going to run 36’.”
What is cystic fibrosis?
Cystic fibrosis is a condition that affects the lungs and digestive system.
The lungs become particularly clogged with thick, sticky mucus.
It can cause breathing problems and difficulty digesting food.
In most cases, the condition is diagnosed in childhood.
Over the years, a person’s lungs become damaged to the point that they no longer function properly.
In 2016, cystic fibrosis claimed the life of activist Kirstie Tancock, who inspired many to become organ donors.
More recently, in 2022, former CBBC star Chelsie Whibley lost her life to cystic fibrosis.
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