Caitlin Andrew, a 26-year-old boxing coach and personal trainer from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, is on a mission to become the first Scottish woman to run the length of the UK. She is covering 827 miles from Land's End to John O'Groats in memory of her best friend, Tyla-Neve Malone, who died from epilepsy last year.
Andrew set out from Land's End on June 1 and aims to reach John O'Groats by July 5, completing roughly a marathon a day for 35 days. Her goal is to raise £10,000 for Epilepsy Scotland. She crossed the border into Scotland on June 20 after running the length of England in 20 days, battling loneliness, physical exhaustion, and feet covered in blisters.
Emotional Reunion in Glasgow
Andrew is set to arrive in Glasgow on Tuesday, where she looks forward to a reunion with friends and family, including Tyla's family. "It's going to be emotional. I can already feel it's going to be emotional," she said. "Being able to see them, that's going to lift me for the rest of it. This is what I need, so it's going to mean more than the world to me."
She added: "Just to see my family, friends, and obviously Tyla's family, and all my friends from their side as well, because obviously the reason behind the run is Tyla. It's going to be a special day, a day that I'll remember for the rest of my life."
Solo Challenge After Support Falls Through
Andrew had expected to be accompanied by a support vehicle, but the arrangement fell through at the last minute, leaving her to complete the challenge mostly solo. Despite the difficulties, she described the run as "something else."
"There have been good days, and there have been bad days," she explained. "The days that have been bad, it's been more dark than anything. Sore, struggling to even get up in the morning, your body seizing up. My feet have been absolutely covered in blisters, cuts, you can't imagine the pain thresholds go that high, my body's just used to it now."
She added: "But overall, I can't take the experience away from the run. The run has been something else. I've been able to say that I've done that, and I'm still doing it. I never give myself credit for anything, and I physically take my hat off to myself. This has been tough, but it's been something."
Route and Support
After a night in Glasgow, Andrew will continue northward to Balloch on Wednesday, Inverary on Thursday, and Tyndrum on Friday. Her route will then take her through Fort William, Inverness, Tain, and Golspie, with the final leg being the 26 miles from Wick to John O'Groats on July 5.
Andrew has called on people across Scotland to support her by cheering along the route, running a short section with her, sharing her campaign, or donating. "Running helped pull me out of the darkest place I had ever been in, and now I want to use it to do something positive," she said.
Lesslie Young, chief executive of Epilepsy Scotland, said: "Everyone at Epilepsy Scotland is incredibly proud of Caitlin. This is an extraordinary challenge, and it speaks to the love she has for Tyla and the strength she has found through running. Around 80,000 people in Scotland live with epilepsy, and up to two people a week die from the condition. Epilepsy is still widely misunderstood, and Caitlin's journey will help bring attention to the impact it can have on families, friends and communities. We hope people across the UK will get behind Caitlin as she passes through their area, whether that means donating, offering practical support, sharing her story or simply coming out to cheer her on."
More information about the run and donations can be found at justgiving.com/caitlin-andrew.
