Why I’m running the Manchester Marathon 2026 – Natasha Clark

I never thought I wanted to run a marathon, let alone two, but here we are. 26.2 miles of dedication, strength and mind over matter didn’t sound appealing. Weeks of training that I didn’t have time for, a body I wasn’t sure was strong enough to cope, and a mind that I didn’t feel had the willpower to stay the course. But when I was offered a spot to run the London marathon last year, I couldn’t turn it down. I’m delighted to say that I’ve clearly caught the marathon bug, and I’m gearing up to run the Manchester marathon in a few days, for the wonderful charity, Safeline.

The time involved in training was the first hurdle to overcome. With a busy day job as a political editor, running around across the country interviewing politicians, attending press conferences and writing stories, I never felt like I’d have enough hours in the day to give my all to such a challenge. Three months of training – running four days a week plus one or two days in the gym or pool – was a huge step up from what I’ve ever managed to do before. Before London, I worried that dedicating an hour a day to exercise would have to come at the expense of something else; seeing my friends, social life, or sleep. But after 12 weeks of re-organising my life, prioritising drinking to weekends, and planning my days more meticulously, I realised that it wasn’t that I didn’t have time, it was more that I wasn’t organising it properly. The world doesn’t end if I spend my lunch break on the treadmill, and this feels like a good lesson to learn at the age of 34.

All hard times can, and do, pass.

At a time where everyone in my life is taking on ‘major life events’ – getting married, moving in with partners, having children – it felt important to me to do something meaningful for myself. To prove I could consistently dedicate myself to a challenge, steadily building my strength, fitness, and mileage, was a huge lesson in persistence and self-dedication.

Learning to run long distances is a challenge of mental and physical resilience rolled into one. It’s about training your body and mind to sit in the discomfort of running many miles over many hours, while everything is telling you to stop and have a lie down. On the days where you’d rather be in bed, getting out in the cold to pound pavements. Suffering injuries, blisters, tears, tired legs, constant hunger, and exhaustion. Getting up early to run before a long day at work, or coming to the treadmill after 12 hours in the office. Showing up to train, day after day, was slowly building my resilience in all areas of life, from relationships to work. The meditative effect of putting one foot in front of the other and breathing through pain and discomfort is a skill I’ll always have in the bank to lean back on from now on. All hard times can, and do, pass. I can do hard things. I am resilient. I am lucky to have a body that can do incredible things.

Last year, my goal was to run London in four hours. Unfortunately, the weather forecast had other ideas. 22 degrees of blazing hot sunshine forced us all to slow down in order to finish safely, without overloading the London Ambulance Service. Manchester, I decided within a fortnight of London, would be definitely cooler. Perhaps there would even be some rain! It’s time to give my four-hour goal another go.

12 months on, and I’m learning new lessons in this block. There’s a stronger body here, better fuelling, way more sleep, a regular physio, and the knowledge I did it once and can absolutely do it again.

This year I’m fundraising for Safeline, which does fantastic work to prevent sexual abuse and support those affected to cope and recover. Their vision is that everyone affected by or at risk of sexual abuse should feel supported and empowered. They empower survivors to make choices about the lives they want. They work with children as young as three, a sad and shocking state of affairs that should shame us all.

Unfortunately, I can guarantee that you know someone who has been the victim of sexual abuse

In the last few months we have heard a lot in the media about abuse, power, men and women in elite parts of society treating others in the most appalling ways. I will continue to try and hold the government to account for their failings to do more to tackle abuse, violence, and push them to do better for the victims of the future. Whether that is Epstein victims, grooming gangs, violence against women and girls, or sexual abuse of any kind.

You might think that you don’t know someone who has been sexually abused or assaulted, but sadly, I’m confident that you do. Someone who has trusted a stranger or a friend, and been taken advantage of. Someone who was too ashamed to tell their friends because they’d had a drink and didn’t remember the details. Someone who wasn’t sure whether they’d been sexually abused, or assaulted, or not. Someone who wanted to brush it off as nothing. Someone who had their boundaries blurred, and felt they could have been to blame for what happened to them. Someone who has never told anyone their story to anyone, and might never do so. Unfortunately, I can guarantee that you know someone who has been the victim of sexual abuse, assault, or violence, and it will be closer to home than you think. Which is why the work that Safeline does is so vital, and I’m delighted to be supporting them.

I hope you can help support me to take on my second attempt at 26.2 miles, where I know my sub-four hour goal is waiting for me.