Husband and wife team from Ripon tackle one of Britain's great running challenges
A husband-and-wife team from Ripon have completed 10 marathons in 10 days in an event where only 19 runners dared to enter.
Rob and Katie Harrison tackled the Brathay 10-in-10 amidst the beautiful Cumbrian surroundings of Lake Windermere.
Established in 2007, the Brathay 10-in-10 was the world’s first 10-marathon stage race of its type, comprising 10 laps of the stunning Windermere Marathon course.
With three children and their own local business Picture News, a weekly news resource aimed at inspiring children and helping them make sense of the world around them, the couple say their passion for long distance running serves as a valuable way of keeping themselves grounded.
Dividing their time between homes in Ripon and Spain, Rob and Katie are both proud members of Ripon Runners, representing the club in all the events they participate in.
“We both love the marathon distance as it’s long enough to really test endurance but not so long that you can’t run again the next day,” said Katie.
“It always feels like such an incredible achievement.
"We’re not sure of the exact number but we think we’ve run around 50 marathons to date."
The couple first became aware of the 10-in-10 event having run the individual Windermere Marathon in 2017.
Working with coach Joe Baker, the couple gradually built up to running 100 miles a week as the event approached.
“Our training included lots of hills, given the undulation of the Windermere Marathon route, so fuelling was really important,” said Katie.
"We did a lot of training with gels and other energy sources, so our stomachs could handle it over the 10 days.”
Just 19 runners entered for all 10 races, with five of those entrants having to retire through injury part way through - highlighting just how physically gruelling the event is.
“The last marathon was very emotional,” said Katie.
"We all took a victory walk past our families, friends and the support team who were all cheering for us.”
By completing the challenge, Rob and Katie raised almost £7,000 for the Brathay Trust, which supports disadvantaged children.
To donate: www.justgiving.com/page/katieandrobbrathay