A weekend of hiking and running to raise money for Family Fund

In September 2023, 27-year-old Sophie took on the incredible challenge of climbing Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales, and then the very next day completing the Great North Run, the world’s largest half marathon. She did this to raise money for Family Fund.

Sophie says, “My friend works for Family Fund and introduced me to the charity. I also recently found out that I have friends whose children have benefited from the support that Family Fund provides. After learning more about the work of the charity and its impact, I decided that I wanted to fundraise for them.”

Preparation

Sophie, who travels the country for work as an actor and presenter, is an experienced runner and has completed half marathons before. She also grew up with hikes being a regular activity. However, never before did she do a hike and a half marathon in one weekend as she did for this fundraising challenge. Sophie explains, “To prepare for the event, I went running two or three times a week. Having done half marathons before, I knew that my body could handle it. I was quite naughty and didn’t train for the hike. I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best that I would feel alright the next day.

“Ahead of the event, I was quite nervous because I’ve attempted the challenges separately but never in tandem before. I was worried about what the aftereffects of the hike would be. Not to mention, there’s also a long drive between Snowdon and Newcastle. So, I was worried about the impact of that too.”

Climbing Snowdon

“On the day of the hike, we started at about 9am. It was a very misty morning with low clouds so we thought that we wouldn’t get a good view at the top but fortunately the skies cleared as we climbed. One of my favourite parts of the challenge was seeing my siblings’ faces as they looked out onto the view from the top of Snowden. It was special that I got to do the hike with my family. Overall, it took us about six hours to complete. I then got in the car and drove to Carlisle where I stopped overnight before travelling to the start line of the Great North Run in Newcastle the next morning. I felt really tired on the drive over to Carlisle. After I arrived, I quickly ate and hit the pillow.”

The Great North Run

“The next day I felt surprisingly fresh. I got up, got ready, went downstairs rather gingerly, and then realised that everything felt ok. Although at the back of my mind I did think that this may change the moment I’d start running. I was really worried about how I would feel after 5km, with tired legs. It was hard to get into the headspace that I had just climbed a mountain and now it was time to run.

“At the beginning of the race, the weather was warm and dry. Running alongside thousands of other people felt incredible! It was amazing to run on the streets of Newcastle with everybody cheering. The community came out and were handing out ice pops and water. Some people were using their hoses to cool the runners down in the intense heat. It felt like a party as we were running along, with lots of different music stops and cheering. There was a massive buzz of excitement throughout the day. Running down the final stretch with all the supporters cheering was a great feeling.

“When I crossed the finish line after completing the two challenges, I felt an overwhelming sensation of emotion.”

“After the weekend of challenges, I didn’t have much time to relax. I drove straight up to Glasgow for work. I got there after midnight and had just enough time to eat a lasagne before starting the week.

Advice to those considering a fundraising challenge

“If you’re someone who’s thinking about doing a fundraising challenge for Family Fund or another charity, I would say definitely go for it. On the day, the amount of support you get for being a charity fundraiser by the crowds is invaluable. If you’re worried about it, just give it a try because you will receive support from the charity to help reach your fundraising goal.”