When 22-year-old Amy tragically lost her life to a severe asthma attack in 2022, she left behind a fiancé and two heartbroken young children. Driven by love and a determination to turn tragedy into hope, her cousin, Edge Hill University student Scarlett Dawson, took to the streets of the capital. Alongside her cousins James and Naomi, Scarlett tackled the legendary London Marathon, raising over £2,400 for Asthma + Lung UK to ensure other families are spared the same devastating loss.
Training Challenges and Personal Motivation
“In the past couple of years, I have seen my older cousin and auntie complete the London Marathon and after hearing how much they enjoyed it I had to give it a go,” Scarlett explained. “I knew that Amy was with me every step of way, during the difficult parts I knew I had to keep going for her.”
“I ran the marathon so I could raise as much money for Asthma and Lung UK as possible. As a family, the charity is so close to our hearts, and it is important to us that no family should ever have to go through the pain and heartache we have. The money I have raised will support vital research for Asthma and Lung UK to allow them to create new treatments. As someone who also has asthma this is very important.”
During training, Scarlett sometimes had to cut runs short because of her own asthma and would always carry her inhaler. Preparations included running the Everton 10k, which started and finished at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and completing her first half marathon around Aintree Racecourse.
Overcoming Injury and Achieving the Goal
“Although I was running this marathon for Amy, I was also running it to challenge myself! At the beginning I couldn’t even run 5km but with my brother’s support I slowly built up the distance. In October I completed the Everton 10km race which was really fun. Then later in December, I completed my first half marathon at Aintree Racecourse! Getting a medal at the end of these races definitely gave me a boost to keep going.”
Around February, Scarlett suffered an injury to her IT band, causing severe pain in her knee. “Sadly, because of this I had to miss out on a lot of running. I visited a sports therapist who gave me some exercises to complete. Thankfully they worked really well but because of this injury it meant I was going into race day having only ran a half-marathon.”
Scarlett, from Skelmersdale, overcame those challenges to make the start line. Competing in the marathon with James and Naomi, watched on by family and friends, was an “absolutely incredible” experience.
Race Day Experience
“I was really nervous, but the race was absolutely incredible. The crowds were insane, I had my name on my t-shirt so everyone was shouting my name. It’s like being a celebrity for the day! Tower Bridge was my favourite part because you literally turn round a corner and it’s there, it was so breath-taking,” Scarlett added. “Because there were three cousins running the marathon, we had all of our family supporting us. I managed to see my family three times in total which definitely pushed me.”
Inspiring Others
Scarlett hopes her experiences can inspire others to take on a challenge. She concluded: “I hope people reading this are inspired to run the London Marathon or are inspired to take on a challenge. I was not a runner before this marathon. I couldn't even run 5km but with perseverance I am now a marathon runner. Training for this marathon gave me something to focus on and aim towards. If anyone is considering running any race, I would say go for it and push yourself!”
