Lee-Anne, Head of Projects at Lolly, has been trying to secure a place in her bucket-list race for thirteen years, entering the ballot annually with the hope of finally taking part. Last year she received the long-awaited acceptance, and we’re proud to announce that she will be running the 2026 London Marathon in support of Lolly’s charity partner, Kids Inspire.
Although she has taken on challenging runs before, Lee-Anne is approaching this race with a different mindset. With previous runs she revealed that she never followed a training plan, but with the pressure of such an iconic race, Lee-Anne began more structured training back in October. She explained, “I’m so excited but it’s so scary. I’ve done marathons and an ultramarathon before, but I feel a lot of pressure for this one because I’ve waited so long for it. I’m following a running plan, so if it says I have to go out, I have to go out! I’ve done a lot of crazy running challenges, but this is the one I’ve always wanted to do.”
Her motivation is strengthened by the charity she’s supporting: “Kids Inspire are a small local charity to me, and it’s for children's mental health which is massive at the moment. Smaller charities don’t get the same fundraising that all the big charities get- some have a lot of support and a lot more marathon places with people raising thousands for them. Smaller ones like Kids Inspire don’t get that, so I really wanted to support them.”
The London Marathon requires structure and determination, with training becoming more demanding as the day approaches. Lee-Anne described how the key to consistency is mentally showing up for yourself: “Even if I think to myself ‘I’m too tired’, I just tell myself to get changed and just do a mile. But I’m never actually going to go out and just do one mile- once I start, I’ll probably end up doing four or five miles, and that's a good training run. It’s just about getting myself out of the door, one step in front of the other.
“The long runs now are mentally challenging because they’re hours, but I mentally break them down. It’s just about coming up with quirky things in your head to try and trick yourself that you’re not actually doing that distance.”
Her choice to run for Kids Inspire comes from an understanding of the impact the charity can have. She told us, “Mental health in children and young people is at an all-time high, and I think the majority of that is through social media. Kids Inspire offers a service where they can speak to someone who's completely neutral and outside the family who can help them- they’re a great charity and I think it’s amazing.”
Support Lee-Anne on her journey and help Kids Inspire continue their vital work by donating🫶
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