Woman runs length of Britain's entire coastline after multiple sclerosis diagnosis

A woman has ran the length of Britain's entire coastline after she received a diagnosis for multiple sclerosis (MS).

Megan Boxall, 33, will complete her 5,420 mile journey on Saturday after 204 days.

In the process, she has broken the record for fastest woman to run the coastline around England, Wales, and Scotland.

Running the equivalent of 200 marathons in 204 days, she will have knocked 97 days off the previous record, set by Elise Downing in 2016.

In addition to her record-breaking run, Ms Boxall, from Suffolk, has raised more than £50,000 for Samaritans.

She said she made five calls to the charity after she was diagnosed with MS in 2024.

She said: "When I was at my lowest, the Samaritans helped me keep going.

"There were times when the pain in my mind was so intense I couldn't pick myself up off the floor.

"Their volunteers were there for me when I needed someone most. I only wish I had picked up the phone sooner."

Before her diagnosis, she had two flare ups, including an instance where she lost vision in one of her eyes and another where she lost feelings in her hands and feet.

Ms Boxall set off from Sizewell beach, in Suffolk, on October 18, and will finish at the same place before taking part in the same local parkrun which started her journey.

A typical day for the runner, who has also competed in IronMan events, involves waking up at 6am, eating as much as she can, then starting her run at 8am.

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She tries to cover more than a half marathon in the morning, before stopping for lunch, after which she completes a second 13-mile stint, with the goal of finishing around 3pm.

She has been helped during her run thanks to the kindness of strangers, friends, and supporters of the Samaritans.

Also supporting Ms Boxall, a financial journalist, is her dog Shadow, who has joined her for parts of the journey.

She said: "The most uplifting part of this journey has been the kindness and generosity of people.

"I’ve been truly blown away. People have given their time, shared their stories, many of them incredibly inspiring, and gone out of their way to help.

"We really do have so much to celebrate in Britain."

Ms Boxall is following in the footsteps of her late uncle Tom Isaacs, who walked the coastline after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's.

She admitted there had been "a lot of low moments" when she questioned why she was "doing this", but added: "Coming back to my 'why', raising awareness for Samaritans, and reading messages of support from people keeps me going."

After completing her journey, she said she plans to celebrate with friends and family at a local pub, adding that she hoped to break the record for fastest marathon ran by a woman with MS later this year.

Those who wish to support her mission can donate here.

Anyone who is in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide can call the Samaritans anonymously for free from a UK phone on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org.