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Paul Fox

2026 Edinburgh Marathon Festival

Help me reach my goal of £600

I'm fundraising for Rethink Mental Illness!

I’m taking on the Edinburgh Marathon Festival 2026 to raise funds for Rethink Mental Illness, a charity that works tirelessly to support people affected by mental health challenges.

Mental health impacts us all, and Rethink provides vital services, campaigns for better care, and helps reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.

I’m running to help make a difference—and I’d love your support!

Every donation, big or small, will help Rethink continue their life-changing work.

Thank you for cheering me on!

Please Help Me Reach My Goal

Raised

£165 + £17.83 GiftAid

My Goal

£600

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My Achievements

Fundraising page

Updated Profile Pic

Added a Blog Post

Received 5 Donations

Reached Goal

Increased Target

My Updates

Back on track with a spring time boost

Sunday 1st Mar
Hey all,

Thank you so much to everyone for the support; not only for the donations themselves but the kind encouragement and check-ins I've received since first posting this page.
These conversations have played a huge role in keeping me motivated when the less constructive parts of my nature have been more prevelant.

January and February are historically a hard time for me and my mental health; as with so many people, everything just seems to take that bit more energy at this time of year.

 Couple this with my knees threatening to hand in their notice as my training ramped up, I've seen a pretty hefty spike in negative internal chatter, with my 'emotional muscle memory' beelining for negative spirals.

But with a few weeks off running, with regular therapy (both physio and psychological), I'm back on plan and lacing up the trainers.

Today I ran 8.6 miles in just over an hour, along a route that took me through farmland and a burgeoning spring - it was one of those runs that reminds me why it's worth putting on the shoes.

My mind was blissfully silent, my tics a distant memory and I felt my own master. 

It can take years for people living through mental health struggles to find their version of 'living with', that subtle yet profound change that comes from not fighting the monster. I'm lucky to have found running works for me.

Before that personal exploration can happen, people need help to restabalise, then they can reassess. 
Rethink Mental Illness, with their subject specific guides, advice, information and signposting; not to mention the advocacy work they do, provide an invaluable resource to those on a journey to better understanding of their mental health.

Please do signpost their website where you can, you never know who might benefit from seeing their resources.

Thank you all, sincerely.

Running for mental health, not from it.

Saturday 13th Dec
2025 is the year I started running with purpose.
I'd spent years with health professionals telling me exercise could lift my mood; I didn't want to hear it. 
I shook my head at the 'audacity' of telling someone with chronic depression that going for a run could help them feel better.

Frustratingly, they were right. 

For the previous fifteen years  I'd done everything I could to run from my mental health problems, trying the next medication, the next therapy type; running after a fix, a cure.

Medication is a wonderful thing, I'm intolerable without mine; and I'm a therapy evangelist now.

Honestly, I would tell anyone dealing with mental health struggles to see a professional and find a medication and therapy type that works best for you.

But I'd also say, and deliver the emphasis on this - do not rob yourself of agency.

For many, medication and therapy help, they're not necessarily a cure. 

I've had to learn to live with my mental illness; developing my own techniques to get me through the day when the body feels numb and I only wish the mind would feel the same. 

Running has become a cornerstone of my mental health self care. I don't run every day, or every week even but I know it's there to turn to when needed.

I wish I could run more. There are still periods when my health won't let me, but thats ok.

When my coping strategies aren't working, there's people and organisations to turn to.

I'm proud to live daily, mental health worts and all, and I'm proud to run for Rethink Mental Illness.

Thank you to my Sponsors

£53.32

Michael

Run fast!

£25

Paul Fox

£20

Katie B

Such an important cause, best of luck!

£20

Rob B

Best of luck Paul!

£15

Hannah & Scott

With improved aerodynamics since sacrificing the beard, I sense a new PB on the horizon! Good luck!

£15

Jill Webb

Go for it Paul!

£11.33

Sonja

37p per mile - 'Last of the Big Spenders', that's what they call me,

£5

Kelly Chan

Massive respect for doing this! Best of luck with the training and race day :)