Olly Brown from Shrewsbury will run a marathon in Leicestershire on Sunday 28 December as he begins his epic 9 month challenge, running 39 marathons in 39 weeks to raise money for pregnancy charity Tommy’s.

Olly sets of on the first leg of his daunting ‘Marathons for Miracles’ challenge, which he set for himself after he and his wife experienced a traumatic miscarriage in 2022.

He is running each marathon in one of the 39 historic counties of England, each week joined by someone affected by pregnancy or baby loss.

As well as raising funds for Tommy’s research and support services, Olly is determined to open up conversations around pregnancy and baby loss. Everyone who runs alongside him for one of his marathons will share their own experience in an interview for Olly’s specially-created podcast.

Olly and his wife Amy, who live in Shrewsbury, met in August 2020 and in 2022 were thrilled to find out they were expecting their first baby. Despite a small amount of early bleeding, a scan at 12 weeks showed all was well.

“The ongoing bleeding had been a concern, but the scan was a real reassurance. It was amazing. We saw our baby’s head, heart, arms and legs…there was a little human that we had made,” Olly says.

The couple shared their good news with friends and family. But within a week, everything changed.

“Amy had more bleeding, so we went to get checked over. The baby had no heartbeat. They told us: ‘You’re having a miscarriage.’”

It was an experience they were ‘totally unprepared for’, Olly says.

“It made us a lot more aware of miscarriage in general. Once people know you’ve been through it, they start talking about their own losses.

“You realise it’s happened to so many people but it’s just not spoken about.”

A few months after their loss, Amy became pregnant again and the couple welcomed their daughter in September 2023.

Olly came up with the ‘Marathons for Miracles’ challenge as a way of highlighting the impact of pregnancy and baby loss on so many lives.

“I had been considering doing some fundraising, but following the yet another loss experienced by some close friends, I decided that I wanted to do something significant.  Pregnancy and fertility is far from straightforward for many people, with often tragic and life altering consequences.  I wanted to find a way to raise funds whilst giving a platform to the struggles that so many face”

“Thus, Marathons for Miracles was born.  39 marathons in 39 weeks, my best attempt at replicating the 9 month pregnancy journey, whilst acknowledging that not all pregnancies make it to the full 40 weeks.”

“Travelling to each county and running with someone different each week allows us to share a number of stories, demonstrating the wide range of experiences, how people have coped with them and the support that is available.  I hope to shine a small light on an issue that affects 50% of UK adults in some way, but is so really discussed”

“Running has always been an escape for me and so many of those taking part, so it seems fitting that we can run some miles together and take in the great English countryside at the same time.  If anyone would like to run all or part of any of the marathons, they are more than welcome” 

Kath Abrahams, Chief Executive of Tommy’s, said: “We are so grateful to Olly and all the runners joining him around the UK for taking on this extraordinary feat for Tommy’s. 

“The shock and grief Olly and Amy experienced when they lost their first baby to a miscarriage is sadly shared by far too many families. 

“We’re doing all we can to change that through our research, as well as offering expert support and information for those affected. 

“Every donation in support of Olly’s Marathons for Miracles challenge will help us end the devastation caused by pregnancy and baby loss. We’ll be cheering on Olly and his running mates every step of the way.”