The Journey to Marathons for Miracles

🕒 ~3 min read

Over the past few years, we’ve watched close friends navigate devastating experiences: miscarriage, baby loss, complicated journeys both to, and through pregnancy, and the quiet aftermath that follows. Alongside our own journey, those stories piled up - not as isolated moments, but as a pattern that was impossible to ignore. Time and again, people we care deeply about were carrying unimaginable grief, often privately, often without the language or space to share it. That collective weight is why we’re here. It’s why Marathons for Miracles exists.

In late 2022, my wife, Amy, and I were filled with hope for own pregnancy - like so many couples, imagining a future that was within reach. What followed was heartbreak. And in the weeks and months after, we were struck by how common these experiences are, and yet how rarely they’re spoken about. The silence around miscarriage, baby loss and infertility can feel as heavy as the loss itself.

Marathons for Miracles was born from a decision not to let that silence win. Not just as a physical challenge, but as a way to create space for conversation, connection and honesty.

The idea is simple but demanding: I will run 39 marathons in 39 consecutive weeks, across the 39 historic counties of England. Each week, a different runner joins the journey - bringing their own story, their own reason for being there, and helping to show just how widespread these experiences really are.

Throughout 2026, we’ll run roads, trails, towpaths and parks, sharing stories as we go. Every mile is an opportunity to acknowledge loss, honour resilience, and remind people that they are not alone.

At its heart, this is about turning personal pain into collective purpose. We’re running in support of Tommy’s, whose work funds vital research and provides life-changing support for families affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth. With every step, we hope to raise awareness, start conversations, and help create a future where fewer families have to walk this path.

It’s a long road - but it’s one we’re choosing to walk* together.
(*run)

Olly & Amy