02/05/2026
I donāt really know where to start with this.
The day came and went so quicklyā¦ but at the same time it felt like a lifetime.
I set out to run 100 miles and I did it. But what I experienced along the way was so much more than just a physical challenge.
Between around 9:30pm and 3:30am, I was completely alone on the canal. It was cold, dark, quietā¦ just me and my thoughts, running backwards and forwards. At times it felt isolating, overwhelming, and honestly quite emotional.
And then, without me asking, without me expecting anythingā¦ my Dad, Steve Sutherland, turned up at 11pm. He stood there in the cold, in one spot, all the way through the night until sunrise, just making sure I was okay.
I donāt think Iāll ever be able to put into words what that meant to me.
As the night went on, more people started to appear. Clare came at 3am and refused to leave until she knew I was safe. Then around 3:30am, over 40 miles in, I saw lights ahead and realised it was Wojciech Lukasik and Karolina Januchowska.
I had prepared to do this alone. I didnāt want to trouble anyone. But people heard what I was doingā¦ and they came anyway.
Thatās something thatās really stayed with me.
At around 80 miles, I genuinely thought it was over. My quads were gone. I was in a very dark place physically and mentally, and I was so close to stopping.
But then Steve Prendegrass, Richard Jones and Kevin Erskin stepped in.
They broke everything down for me; bridge by bridge and introduced a simple 2 minutes on, 1 minute off run-walk approach. That one change got me moving again. They didnāt just support meā¦ they carried me through when I had nothing left.
Then at 95 miles, when I was completely empty, Josh Warrington came and ran with me. He pushed me, encouraged me, and somehow helped me find something I didnāt even know I had left.
Those final miles will stay with me forever.
Throughout the day, I was blown away by the number of people who came out to support. Friends, family, colleagues people who took time out of their day just to stand by the canal and cheer me on.
Seeing familiar faces like Liam Hancock and Marc Binns, hearing about others pushing themselves to distances theyād never done beforeā¦ it felt like something much bigger than just me running.
A huge thank you to everyone at Dortech, especially Kimy Lindsay who seemed to be there at every opportunity cheering me on.
And to those I havenāt mentioned by name including my little sister, Leonie Sutherland, Laura Capewell and Andy Lindley who travelled a long way please know how much I appreciate you.
I set out to run 100 miles, but what Iāve taken away from this is something far more emotional than I ever expected.
The love.
The support.
The encouragement.
Itās honestly hard to process.
This might be the last time I ever attempt something like thisā¦ but itās an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
If you followed the journey, supported, shared, messaged or donated thank you. It truly meant everything.
This was all in support of the Epilepsy Society and if youāre able to donate, even now, it would mean a lot ā¤ļø
š https://www.justgiving.com/page/epilepsy-society-dortech-direct
