Megan Boxall is aiming to become the fastest woman to run the entire coastline of Britain and is raising funds for Samaritans, a charity close to her heart.
Megan, who has been running a marathon almost every day since she set off from Suffolk on the 18th October, made it to Edinburgh on Saturday (11th April).
Since arriving in Scotland on the 19th January, Megan has run the length of the West coast of mainland Scotland, and is now on the home straight having run back down the East coast. She aims to have completed the entirety of the challenge by the 18th May, making her the fastest woman to do so.
In taking on this marathon challenge, Megan combines endurance sport with open conversations about mental health and suicide prevention. Not only has Megan raised £30,000 for the suicide prevention charity, but she is also spreading a message of resilience and hope, as well as raising awareness of mental health and help-seeking in rural and coastal communities.
In 2024, Megan was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and faced struggles with her mental health. She made five calls to Samaritans that year which helped her through some of her most difficult moments.
Megan spoke about how important it was for her to have the live-saving opportunity to talk to a Samaritan about how she felt. She said: “Every 90 minutes someone dies by suicide in the UK.
“Samaritans is an amazing charity which is helping to prevent that number from becoming much higher. Its volunteers pick up the phone to someone in need once every ten seconds.
“In 2024, I made five calls to the charity (116 123). Their volunteers were there for me when the pain in my brain was so intense I couldn’t pick myself up off the floor.
“I only wish I had picked up the phone to them sooner.”
Megan follows in her late uncle’s footsteps, who walked the route aged 33 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
Running 200 marathons in 200 days is no mean feat, and a grueling task even in the brightest of weather. The weather in Scotland can offer little encouragement during the early months of the year, but something which has brightened up each daily marathon for Megan has been the people of Scotland that have cheered her on so far.
Megan said: “I have really had some amazing experiences in Scotland so far. Overall, I have been blown away by the Scottish welcome. It really has been so uplifting and what Run Britain is all about.
“I hope that by talking more about my experiences with Samaritans and raising some money while I circle the country, I can help anyone who might be struggling.”
Running and being in nature alongside her dog, adopted from Dog’s Trust in 2022, helped Megan to find a way to cope and carry on. Megan hopes that her run will help raise awareness of Samaritans for anyone struggling with their mental health, as well as the benefits of spending time in nature enjoying the beauty of the coastline.
Megan’s dog, Shadow, accompanies her on some parts of her journey wearing her PitPat GPS tracker to stay safe and track her miles.
Megan started her 5,240-mile (8,433km) journey at Sizewell Beach in Suffolk on the 18th October, and hopes to finish at the same place in May.
Running groups and clubs are invited to join Megan on sections of her journey and can sign-up here.
You can donate to Megan’s fundraiser through her JustGiving page.