Hi, I am Alice. I am a wife, a mum; and like many of you, trying to navigate midlife.

This July, I am taking on a new challenge: my first-ever 100‑mile race, to be completed within 48 hours.

The Rat Race 100 - Castle to Castle (Bamburgh to Edinburgh) is a 100-mile (161km) ultramarathon completed continuously on foot along the Northumberland / Scotland coastline. With roughly 2000 metres (6500ft) of cumulative elevation gain, the route will include beaches, open moorland and undulating footpaths.

Designed as a multi-stage endurance effort, I will face sleep deprivation over a maximum of 2 nights on foot. I will be running in the dark (possibly for long stretches, solo) whilst trying to fuel sensibly and keep warm; when all my body wants to do is stop.

This is the furthest distance that I have ever signed up for, and to be frank, I am quietly terrified.

Training for something like this is tough and a bit relentless. Some nights I have little sleep, and some days my body feels exhausted. Work commitments and family life squeeze the hours, and to be honest; motivation can be hard to find.

But that is exactly why I am doing this.

I am not expecting to feel perfectly prepared when I stand on that start line.

This will test my resilience more than my fitness. By pushing myself beyond what feels comfortable, I hope to encourage others to take on their own brave challenges — and feel proud for doing so.

Fundraising is once again for Team Verrico, a local charity that is close to my heart. Like so many of us, I have seen how cancer touches every part of our lives: family, friends, colleagues, and communities. Team Verrico exists to make those moments a little less overwhelming. It provides compassionate, life‑changing support for people facing cancer diagnosis and bereavement; including counselling, access to clinical trials and treatment reviews. It also provides practical help such as childcare, hospital transport, cleaning, and food packages.

If you are able to, please consider sponsoring a mile as every pound truly makes a difference. And if you can, don’t forget to Gift Aid, so that your generosity goes even further.

Thank you so much for supporting this wonderful charity, and me.

❤️