Holy Moly - Grub, Sweat & Tears and a Medal!! Norfolk Coastal Trail Marathon 2025 done!😬🏃🏼‍♀️ 🏅

Celebrating together!

Woo hoo - finishers medal

On THAT beach

I did it. We did it!

Gareth and I crossed the finish line of the Norfolk Coastal Trail Marathon 2025 this weekend — my first (and last!) marathon.

And here’s the icing on the cake: at 26.61 miles according to Strava/Garmin, I technically went beyond marathon distance. Woo hoo! 🎉 Well, it's worth celebrating after all that pain!

⏱️ Official time: 7 hours 16 minutes

🏅 Half marathon split: 2:50

🚩 Start: Holme-next-the-Sea

🏁 Finish: Morston Quay

Holy moly, it was tough.

Really tough. Months of training had lulled me into thinking it might feel easier, after all, long runs of 22 miles had been okay. But on race day, the coastal terrain had other ideas.

From cobbles and broken boardwalks to uneven paths, soft sand dunes and the dreaded stretch of beach (spoiler: huge mistake choosing that route 😬), every mile demanded something new from body and mind.

By the half marathon point, I was flagging. If I’d had the energy, I would have cried.

But quitting?

Not an option.

Gareth, ever the encourager, resorted to bribery — he’d secretly ordered me a marathon hoodie, and I had to earn it. 😆💜

So, we kept moving.

Limping, laughing, digging deep, cheering each other on. And after 7 hours, 16 minutes, and what felt like several lifetimes, we finally crossed the finish line and celebrating completing the Norfolk Coastal Trail Marathon 2025 together!

💆🏼‍♀️ Recovery?

A Swedish full body massage (thank you, Gareth 🙏), plus a recovery run this morning to prove one very important thing: my legs still work. Hurrah!

More Than a Marathon

Looking back, the whole experience feels like a giant metaphor for life:

• Twists and turns you don’t expect — some joyful, some painful.

• Wrong choices (hello, beach sand) that slow you down.

• Resilience that carries you further than you thought possible.

• Lessons learned the hard way that you’ll never forget.

• Support and encouragement from others that keep you going when you’d otherwise stop.

Would I run another marathon?

Nope.

Did I love it?

Weirdly, yes.

Because it wasn’t perfect, but it was real. And that’s where the magic is: in showing up, persevering, and proving to yourself that you can go further than you believed possible.

That medal around my neck isn’t just for 26.61 miles.

It’s for resilience.

For grit.

For choosing to keep moving forward even when every fibre of my body screamed “enough.”

And that, to me, is life in a nutshell.

💬 What about you?

Have you had “marathon moments” in life — times that tested you, taught you lessons, and reminded you how strong you really are?

If you want help with motivation, inspiration, accountability or confidence, or even help defining what it is you want to achieve in life - personally or professionally or even both - get in touch and lets chat.