A keen runner from Frome is aiming to cover the equivalent distance of 63 marathons this year as part of a charity challenge linked to her age.
Julie Cullen, who turns 63 this year and was born in 1963, is running the equivalent of 63 marathons over the course of 2026 to raise funds for Somerset Sight and Cancer Research UK.
To fit the challenge around her self-employed work in education, Julie runs at least 10km, around six miles, at 6am most days.
Since starting in January, she has completed the equivalent of 20 marathons. She said, “Some mornings I don’t know if I really want to but as soon as I get out, I am absolutely fine. I turn 63 this year and was born in 1963, so I felt I had to do something to mark that.”
Julie is fundraising for Somerset Sight, which provides practical support for blind and visually impaired people across Somerset.
“I have a friend who is a running guide and he volunteers with the charity,” she said. “He takes a blind person and guides them for long distances and they do marathons. I have done the Bath Half with them a few times and other runs and we share lifts. They are an absolute inspiration.”
Her other chosen charity is Cancer Research UK, which she says is close to her heart after family and friends were affected by cancer.
“My mother died of blood cancer and I wanted to raise funds for a charity that gets to the root of it all. Cancer Research UK covers all ages and all types,” she said.
Although a keen runner now, Julie has only been running regularly for the past ten years, after completing the New York City Marathon in 2016.
“I was 53 at the time and I absolutely caught the running bug and haven’t stopped since. I make sure that I warm up every day, I am vegetarian and I go to bed early, so I make sure that I rest. Although I love running and run anyway, this really is a challenge for me and to be honest, it is much more of a challenge than I thought it would be,” she said.
Julie is aiming to raise £630 for each charity, although she says it would be ‘fantastic’ to raise £6,300 for each.
To support Julie’s fundraising mission, visit https://shorturl.at/c6LqW for Cancer Research or https://shorturl.at/l4B9A for Somerset Sight.
