Shrewsbury father runs 39 marathons for baby loss charity

Olly Brown, 34, from Shrewsbury, has been running 39 marathons in 39 weeks, one in each of England’s historic counties, to raise money for Tommy’s, a charity supporting families affected by baby loss.

Mr Brown and his wife Amy suffered a miscarriage at 13 weeks in 2022.

Mr Brown said: "Our eyes were opened to that world, it’s a club that no one wants to be part of but you only know that it exists once you are part of it.

"Miscarriage and baby loss is still quite taboo in our society and not very widely spoken about."

The couple now have a three-year-old daughter and a seven-month-old son.

He began planning the challenge after speaking with friends who had similar experiences and once he felt ready after the birth of their daughter.

He wanted to raise funds for Tommy’s and create a sense of community.

Mr Brown said: "create a sense of community, a way of bringing people together who have had these experiences".

He named the challenge Marathons for Miracles and set out to run each marathon with a different person who had their own story to share.

Some of the runners were people he already knew, while others were found through a social media campaign.

He said: "Alongside the marathons we’ve been recording a podcast series.

"Every week I’ve had a 45-minute to hour-long podcast with the person I’m going to be running with that weekend, or them and their partner, to discuss what their experiences were and their reasons for wanting to run for Tommy’s and raise money for Tommy’s."

The first marathon took place in Leicestershire on December 28.

He has just two left to complete, with the final marathon set for September 19 on the north Norfolk coast.

Olly Brown running in the London Marathon. (Image: Marathons for Miracles/PA Wire)

Mr Brown said: "It’s been a big commitment for us as a family.

"Our second was born in January.

"On week five of the challenge we welcomed a newborn and all the joy that comes with that, and challenges and lack of sleep."

His original fundraising target was £39,000, but he has now raised more than £75,000.

Kath Abrahams, chief executive of Tommy’s, said: "We are so grateful to Olly and all the runners joining him around the UK for taking on this extraordinary feat for Tommy’s."