The OCD Loop Campaign: 100km Ultra Marathon for OCD Uk

On Sunday the 22nd of November, I’m taking on my hardest challenge yet: The OCD Loop - a 100km ultra marathon around a 400 meter track, raising money and awareness for OCD UK.

My name is Harry, and this November I’m running a campaign centered around raising awareness of OCD, opening up conversations around the disorder, and supporting the work of OCD UK.

OCD, also known as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, is one of the most misunderstood mental health disorders, and it’s something that is incredibly important to me. I was diagnosed with OCD over six years ago, and growing up, it had a massive impact on my life and shaped a huge part of who I was. Fortunately, with the right help, treatment and support, I’m now living life on my own terms and not OCD’s.

Because of my own experience, I now want to play my part in raising awareness, challenging the misconceptions surrounding OCD, and being the person my younger self would have needed. I want to help other young people better understand what OCD really is, recognise when they may need support, and feel confident enough to reach out for the help they deserve.

Now, you might be thinking, “Harry, you’ve completely lost your mind.” Honestly, you’re probably right.

But there’s a reason I’ve chosen to run 100km or 250 laps around a 400-metre track.

One of the biggest misconceptions about OCD is that it’s simply about being tidy, organised, or particular about things. The reality is very different. OCD can be an incredibly complex and debilitating disorder, trapping people in cycles of intrusive thoughts, anxiety, rumination and compulsive behaviors for hours on end.

That idea of being trapped in a loop is exactly what inspired the challenge.

Running 100km around the same track isn’t just about making the challenge as difficult as possible — it’s symbolic. The repetitive nature of the route represents the cycle that OCD can create, with the same thoughts and fears repeatedly going around and around. I want the challenge itself to help people understand, even in a small way, what that feeling of being trapped in a loop can represent.

My goal with The OCD Loop is to raise as much awareness of OCD as possible. I’ll be documenting my training journey across Instagram and TikTok, while sharing content focused on OCD, mental health and my own experiences.

Through this project, I hope to educate and inspire young people, encourage more open conversations around OCD, challenge the stigma and misconceptions surrounding the disorder, and hopefully give someone who may be struggling the confidence to reach out for help and support.

Join me as we run to raise awareness, open conversations and help break the stigma around OCD.

Any donations, support, shares or engagement with the campaign would mean a huge amount to me and would help The OCD Loop reach more people.

Thank you for supporting The OCD Loop.

— Harry Bishop