I don’t consider myself sporty, let alone athletic. At school I wasn’t picked for anything PE related, but I do remember coming third in the 800 metres with a sprint finish, to the cheers of my surprised classmates.

As a teenager I ran with my dad, his words of support: “It’s only pain, it won’t kill you!” Perhaps not the choice advice for a coach, but to me it showed my dad’s belief that if I put enough effort in, I’d achieve what I’d set out to do. My dad treated me, my sister and my younger brother as equals, capable of physical feats regardless of our gender.

I was a toddler when Kathrine Switzer lined up alongside all the men on the starting line at Boston in 1967, with no idea until many years later of the prejudices faced by this plucky 20-year-old in showing the world that a woman could run a marathon – at a time when the longest women’s race in the Olympics was the 800 metres.

My own interest in the marathon distance was sparked like many by watching television coverage of the London Marathon, the incredible spectacle of people of all abilities, pounding the streets of our capital, beamed live into our sitting rooms. If you grew up in a digital age it may be hard to contemplate what an extraordinary event this was, we’d gather around the TV as a family and watch transfixed.

I had the dream of running it back then, but it wasn’t until 2005 that I took the plunge and secured a charity place as a “one-off” to celebrate being 40. It was joining the Women’s Running Network to support my training that drew me in to the camaraderie and fun you can enjoy when running. I stayed on as a member and never looked back, going on to complete 50 marathons by the time I was 50.

My marathon days might have ended there, as I had no set goal to do more, but my love of running had inspired me in 2007 to create the Otter Rail and River Run, an off-road 10km from our village playing field at Tipton St John. It was, and remains, a big success and the largest annual fundraiser for our community owned field, which gives me a great sense of pride.

I was on the field walking my dogs in 2016, wondering how to mark the playing field 50 th anniversary, when I remembered from a recent Facebook post that Kathrine Switzer’s Boston run was in 1967, the anniversaries coinciding. That’s when I had what I call my “lightbulb” moment and came up with the women only marathon idea.

My husband John was enjoying a Sunday afternoon pint of beer in the village pub garden when I relayed my excited proposal. I always thought we’d get more than his “half a dozen” runners, but to reach 400 entries was incredible.

Pauline Beare and Peg Wiseman, who set up the Women’s Running Network, were so enthusiastic, bringing their professional knowledge, experience, volunteer time and energy to forming a small team, and from a one sheet of A4 standing start, the event was launched a few months later, Pauline doing a magnificent job as race director.

We contacted Kathrine Switzer’s UK Team at 261 Fearless and were delighted to have their endorsement, and that of Kathrine herself through a series of video clips and direct messages. Many 261 runners from across the UK and around the world took part.

My thinking in coming up with the idea was if I could run a marathon, given the right level of support, encouragement and timing, any woman could. It was a real thrill when many first timers completed in 2017, and the two following years that the event took place.

There’s lots more I could write, but cutting to the present day, I’d been mulling over for some time how to mark 2027 being the 60 th anniversary. As a full-time carer for John, who now has dementia, taking on an overall organiser role was not possible. I thought I might just bimble around the course on the day with a couple of running friends, until that news reached Adrian, who had very capably stepped up in 2025 to be the new race director of the Otter Rail and River Run.

Adrian basically said: “Leave it with me!” The rest is the incredible falling into place event that will take place on Sunday 18 th April, 2027. Adrian has plotted a fabulous course from Exmouth, across the stunning East Devon pebblebed heaths, to Tipton, down the river Otter and back along the World Heritage Jurassic Coastline to Exmouth. And it even goes right past our house! Thanks to Adrian, Paula, and all the team for making it happen for 2027.

Please come and be a part of it.

by Jo Earlam