OCC for IMW – 52,200 Seconds Through the Alps

Back in 2022, I started running.

At the time, I couldn’t even run 1km without stopping.

But then I came across an Instagram video of the UTMB races in Chamonix — thousands of runners setting off through the Alps surrounded by mountains, emotion, exhaustion, and determination. From that moment, completing one of these races became a dream.

This year, that dream becomes reality.

I’ve been lucky enough to secure a place at the UTMB OCC — one of the world’s most iconic trail ultramarathons.

The challenge:

• 60km through the Alps

• 3,500m of elevation gain

• Starting in Orsières, Switzerland

• Passing through Champex-Lac

• Finishing in Chamonix, France

• And just 52,200 seconds (14.5 hours) to make it to the finish line.

To make things more interesting, I’m running a challenge alongside the race:

Guess my official finish time in seconds.

The 3 closest guesses will win a prize.

But this challenge is about far more than a finish time.

I’m fundraising for In My Wildest (Registered Charity No. 1211670), a charity created to help people living with cancer access travel insurance so they can continue making memories through travel, adventure, and time with the people they love.

Travel creates moments that stay with us forever — and a cancer diagnosis shouldn’t take away the opportunity to experience them.

From struggling to run 1km in 2022 to standing on the start line of UTMB OCC in Chamonix, this journey has already changed my life.

Now it’s about using that journey to help others create memories of their own.

Thank you so much for your support — every donation genuinely makes a difference.