Marathons for Miracles

Amy joins Olly for the Essex leg of Marathons for Miracles on Saturday 11th July, and shares the deeply personal story of losing her baby at 12 weeks. After unexpectedly falling pregnant while navigating life with a baby who never slept, Amy admits her first reaction was fear. But by the time she and her partner had embraced the idea of becoming parents to two under two, everything changed. She op...

This week, Olly heads to Worcestershire to run alongside Amelia, whose experience reminds us that bringing a healthy baby home doesn't always mean the journey was safe—or free from trauma. Unlike many of our guests, Amelia didn't experience infertility or baby loss. But after a straightforward path to pregnancy, her second birth became a life-threatening medical emergency. Following days of labour...

Nellie joins us ahead of Marathon 27 in Hertfordshire to share her journey through miscarriage, infertility, IVF, and pregnancy after loss. After a missed miscarriage at 12 weeks, Nellie and her husband faced years of uncertainty, including two rounds of IVF and the rare experience of total fertilisation failure. Just as they were preparing for further treatment, and to their great surprise, Nelli...

Jess and Laura join us from Somerset ahead of Marathon 25 in Cheddar Gorge. Both are student midwives nearing the end of their training, balancing family life with the demands of becoming the people many parents rely on during some of life's most significant moments. We discuss what draws someone to midwifery, the realities of caring for families experiencing miscarriage and baby loss, and the pri...

Jonny joins us ahead of Marathon 24 this Sunday, to share the story of his niece, Ness, who was stillborn at 38 weeks in 2021. He reflects on supporting his sister and wider family through an unimaginable loss, the challenges of knowing what to say, and the importance of simply being there for those grieving. We also discuss the creation of the Ness Fund, established in Ness's memory to support re...

This week, we head to Gloucestershire for Marathon 23, joined by Bex. Bex shares her experience of recurrent miscarriage after a straightforward first pregnancy with her son, Leo. What followed were three consecutive losses, including a silent miscarriage discovered at a routine scan, and months filled with uncertainty, unanswered questions and anxiety around pregnancy after loss. We talk about th...

Week 22 takes us to Devon, as James joins us ahead of another marathon on the South West coast. James shares the story of losing his son Luca after a devastating diagnosis during pregnancy, followed by a miscarriage, and later the loss of Leila. He speaks openly about navigating repeated loss, the emotional toll of difficult decisions, and the long road that has followed through genetics testing a...

Nicole joins us this week ahead of the Cornwall Marathon on Sunday. After experiencing a missed miscarriage in 2021, Nicole shares the emotional impact of losing a pregnancy after hearing a heartbeat — and the difficult months that followed as she tried to process grief, anxiety, and the feeling that somehow it must have been her fault. She talks openly about shutting people out, navigating pregna...

Week 20. The half-way point! Olly is joined by long-time friends Tom and Amy ahead of the Leeds Marathon this Sunday marking the halfway point of the challenge. They share their experience of three consecutive pregnancy losses over just over a year, after the seamless arrival of their now-toddler, Florence. They cover the partial molar pregnancy that required surgery and a medically enforced wait...

Ryan joins us to share his personal story shaped by loss, resilience, and perspective. From an ectopic pregnancy with a previous partner, to the loss of his partner, Olivia, and later a miscarriage of twins with his wife, Beth, Ryan reflects on how grief has evolved over time — and how he’s found ways to keep moving forward. He talks about the role running plays in processing difficult moments, th...

Marathon 18 brings us to Middlesex and the London Marathon — but this episode goes far beyond the race. Olly is joined by his best friend Charlie, who shares the personal journey that led him to the start line. From early assumptions about fertility to the harsh realities of secondary infertility, Charlie opens up about the emotional strain of IVF and the hidden challenges couples face. The conver...

This week, Olly is joined by Leanne, a neonatal doctor, to explore the reality of life inside NICU. Leanne was introduced to us through Myles, our Nottinghamshire runner and paediatric nurse, ahead of Marathon 17 this weekend. From extremely premature babies to unexpected complications at birth, this episode sheds light on the care, communication, and emotional complexity families experience — and...

Olly is joined by Bobby, whose daughter Phoebe was born at 23 weeks and 5 days after months of unexplained pregnancy complications, and tragically lived for just five hours. Bobby shares the reality of navigating repeated hospital admissions with his wife Clemmie, extreme prematurity, and the unimaginable decisions faced in NICU — as well as life and fatherhood after such a heartbreaking loss. Pho...

In episode fourteen of Marathons for Miracles , Olly is joined by his close friend Faye , who will be leading the Shropshire leg — a particularly special one as it takes place close to home in Shrewsbury . Faye shares her experience of miscarriage nearly a decade ago , a story she’s never spoken about publicly before, and reflects on the lasting emotional impact of loss — especially as she and her...

In episode thirteen of Marathons for Miracles, Olly is joined by Alice, who will be leading the Dorset leg of the challenge this Sunday, 29th March. Alice shares her and her partner Nick’s eight-year journey through recurrent miscarriage and IVF, including five pregnancy losses and the emotional toll of prolonged uncertainty, treatment, and recovery. She speaks openly about the reality of miscarri...

In episode twelve of Marathons for Miracles, Olly is joined by Finn, who will be running the next leg of the challenge this Saturday 21st March. Finn shares his and his partner’s experience of a termination for medical reasons (TFMR), following a devastating diagnosis during pregnancy. He speaks openly about the shock of that news and the emotional weight of the decision. They discuss how grief is...

Olly is joined by Ciaran ahead of the Bedfordshire leg — marathon 12 of the challenge — this Saturday, 14th March. Ciaran shares his and his wife’s journey through male factor infertility and recurrent miscarriage, and the emotional reality of navigating pregnancy loss as a man — something that is still rarely talked about openly. They discuss the silence that often surrounds male infertility, the...

Olly is joined by Edwina, who will be leading the 11th marathon; the Lancashire leg of the challenge this Sunday 8th March, alongside a small & mighty team. Edwina shares her experience of pregnancy loss — from an early miscarriage in 2021 to a later loss following weeks of uncertainty during a pregnancy of unknown location. She also reflects on the premature birth of her son at 31 weeks durin...

In episode nine of Marathons for Miracles , Olly is joined by Jenny , who will be leading the Derbyshire leg through the Peak District this Saturday, 28th February. Jenny shares the heart-breaking story of losing her first baby last year after a 12-week scan led to a termination for medical reasons (TFMR). She speaks candidly about the shock of that diagnosis, the painful limbo that followed, and...

In this episode of Marathons for Miracles , Olly is joined by Tom ahead of the upcoming marathon in Durham . Tom shares his personal experience of miscarriage and the emotional complexity of navigating pregnancy after loss. Together, they discuss the physical and psychological challenges of parenthood, societal perceptions around miscarriage, and why more open conversations are essential. They als...

After a podcast break last week, episode seven of Marathons for Miracles sees Olly joined by Robin and Annabel ahead of the 8th leg: Northamptonshire on Saturday 14th February. They share a different but deeply relevant story — the unexpected arrival of their son, Jago, at 29 weeks following severe pre-eclampsia. Annabel reflects on how quickly a low-risk pregnancy turned critical, the warning sig...

In episode six of Marathons for Miracles, Olly is joined by Louis, who will be running the Warwickshire leg alongside him this weekend. Louis shares his and Sophie’s story of loss — from an early miscarriage after discovering three fetal poles, to a later pregnancy where routine blood tests revealed their baby (whom they named Frankie) had died. Louis recounts the shock of it all, the reality of g...

In episode five of Marathons for Miracles, Olly is joined by Lucie, who will be taking on the Staffordshire leg of the challenge this coming Sunday, 25th January 2026. Lucie shares her experience of pregnancy loss nearly 30 years ago, after conceiving twins through assisted conception and giving birth to her son and daughter, at just under 20 weeks. She speaks openly about the trauma of loss, its...

In episode four of Marathons for Miracles, Olly is joined by Jonny Girvan, who will be running the Cheshire marathon alongside him this weekend - Sunday 18th Jan. Jonny shares the story of his and his wife Emma’s six-year journey through IVF and four miscarriages, the emotional toll of repeated loss, and how hope, optimism and perseverance eventually led to the healthy arrival of their son. He spe...

In episode three, Olly is joined by Adam 'Adz' Ras — a former army medic, an endurance runner and an all-round force for good, who is running the Rutland marathon with Olly on 10th January. Adz shares the deeply personal story of the miscarriage he and his ex-wife experienced nearly 30 years ago while he was serving abroad — a time when men’s mental health and grief were rarely spoken about. He ta...