Over the last 24 days, I have been pushing the limits of my mind and body. My goal has been to do something never attempted before: to run the entire length of the Thameslink railway network entirely on foot - covering almost 700 kilometres / 435 miles and visiting 139 railway stations (140 if you count the future Wixams station near Bedford!)

As an endurance runner, I’ve tackled some massive rail networks before; from running the entire London Tube map during the pandemic to conquering c2c Rail and Greater Anglia's Stansted Express from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport in a single day. Thameslink has proven to be my most challenging yet, especially since a previous attempt in 2023 cut me short due to its physical and mental toll.

Coming back to face this a second time was personal.

2025 brought some of the most significant personal hardships and life-altering changes I have ever had to navigate; the biggest being that my long-term partner and I separated after 8 years together. Shortly after I began living alone, and in an unrelated incident, my home was then burgled. Just as I was beginning to reconcile my broken relationship and fractured personal space, I later broke my wrist and punctured my lip with my teeth in a running accident, which led me being unable to properly cook, clean and eat properly. This happened not long before there was a health scare within my family which led to me being screened for cancer. My lovely cat, Bree, also fell ill during this time which caused my mental capacity to crumble.

All of this happened within 4 months of each other.

It was difficult to find the joy in the small things as I had the weight of everything else playing on my mind. I lost connection of the things that brought me joy, like my love for running and railways. I knew I needed to push through and take control of my life again. If you're a runner in any capacity, you can relate to the feeling of confronting your thoughts, navigate your lowest moments and find the resilience to keep moving forward, every time you wear your running shoes.

These past 24 days of running Thameslink has had me covering the length and breadth of the network, from Bedford to Baldock, Peterborough to Purley and East Grinstead to West Hampstead. It's been an absolute pleasure to discover so many new areas and navigate numerous communities, including words of support and encouragement - even those curious about my National Rail tattoo on my leg!

Because of what it takes to navigate life's hardest moments, I am dedicating my final day, day 25, of running the Thameslink network as a massive 50km ultra-marathon from Gatwick Airport to Brighton, to raising vital funds for Mind, with my goal set at £1000.00.

Mind is the official charity partner of Thameslink. They are a lifeline for anyone experiencing a mental health problem or navigating their own personal hardships. No one deserves to have to face their darkest times alone and every penny raised goes directly to ensuring support, advice and a listening ear are available to anyone who needs it. It's a charity I hold very dear to myself.

I have been documenting my entire running-rail journey which will be shared on my YouTube channel and social media platforms at @runningonrail. Once Thameslink concludes, then I look forward to taking on the next running-railway challenge in the near-future.

Thank you so much for supporting my journey, supporting Mind and helping myself and others tackle their fears head on.

p.s. Bree made a full recovery and is still just as majestic as ever.

Mind is a registered charity (219830) and a registered company (no. 424348) in England and Wales.