In January 2025 I'll be taking on the Outer Hebrides in an attempt to run the entire island chain faster than it's been done before.

The purpose is to show that women can be safe adventuring in winter and it's my way of raising awareness of the women who were taken from us while out exercising and doing what they love is to commit on over-drive.

72% of women change the way they exercise over winter. With darker evenings and darker mornings, women in particular (according to studies by Sport England) reduce the amount of exercise they do during the winter months, with women saying they feel 'anxious', 'vulnerable' and 'afraid' to be outside alone.

Ask any woman. We all adapt our behaviour in some way, from staying indoors completely to glancing over our shoulders when going down dark streets. Mornings and evenings are often the only available time people can get out and run. A campaign from UN Women encourages people to reclaim their space, and that's what I'm doing now.

This is my way to reclaim space. But I also hope to inspire other women to get outside and challenge themselves to do things that are a little bit scary. Despite the challenges women face, we can overcome it and we can overcome it together.

With each mile I'll be remembering the women who were taken from us while out running. Ashling Murphy. Eliza Fletcher. Susan Karnatz. Laura Smither. Alyssa Lokitz. Samantha Murphy. Laken Riley. The list goes on and on and on.

Let's make the list end today.

As a woman, this challenge does scare me. As a runner, running overnight, over technical, scrambly terrain almost feels secondary. My fear is entering the darkness and the unknown and learning how to manage the panic that so many women feel and face when they step outside in the evening – just on a larger scale.

It's easy to stay inside and close the curtains, but the truth is that this is our reality. Normal will only change if we challenge it: challenge the catcalling, the fear, and the uncertainty that comes every time we leave the house to exercise. According to the coroners Laken Riley's time of death was ascertained when her Garmin stop measuring her heartrate.

As a female runner, I want my Garmin to just track my effort level and splits.

I don't think that's too much to ask.

That's why I'm lacing up my trainers, heading out and will be attempting a straight-through crossing of the length of the Outer Hebrides in mid-winter. A significant amount of the route covers boggy moorland, and I'll be reliant on ferry crossings to skip between some of the bigger islands. Just to throw some extra spice into the mix, I'll be attempting the Fastest Known Time for this route (it currently stands at 3 days and 16 hours.). I'm attempting the FKT purely as a way to raise more awareness rather than a desperate need to be the fastest person along a very desolate winter path!

A few challenges I'll face: I'll have to run with my bivvy and sleeping bag as due to ferry timetabling I'll be stuck waiting in the freezing cold for longer times than I'd like. I'll have to carry my own food because the resup options are not good at the best of times, let alone in the middle of winter. I'll have to be prepared for bad weather and doing the whole thing mostly in the dark. Previous FKT attempts were done (sensibly) in summer. Unlike previous attempts I won't be able to drop food or kit along the way, so to save weight I'll not be able to change gear when it gets wet.

I'm fundraising for two charities. Women in Sport, helping women and girls feel like they belong. And Refugee Action because if there's one other group of people who need support feeling safe given recent political movements, it's refugees. You can find the other page to donate to Refugee Action as part of this justgiving team page.