Fundraising runner racks up 82 marathons - covering every continent in the world

18 February 2023 , 20:44

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Judy Scrine taking part in The Reigate Half Marathon dressed as a witch (Image: Judy Scrine)

From North Korea to the North Pole, running fanatic Judy Scrine has chalked up 82 marathons on every single continent.

And since she first laced up her trainers 12 years ago, Judy’s exploits have raised more than £50,000 for the fight against breast cancer.

The 56-year-old has battled altitude sickness in the Himalayas, survived freezing temperatures of -35C in the Antarctic and tackled searing heat in Jordan.

She has also completed seven marathons on seven different continents in just seven days – and she has even “run the Seven Seas” by finishing a marathon on an island on each of the world’s seven oceans.

And after battling back from a serious spinal injury that ended her career as a vet, Judy hopes to run another 10 marathons this year and take part in one of her favourite events – the Great North Run.

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Judy at the finish line of a marathon in Miami in 2017

She plans to complete the half marathon in a witch costume.

The outfit was inspired by Judy’s late mum – who was born the seventh child of a seventh child which, according to folklore, is said to give them magical powers.

Judy said: “I am very slow and definitely not built for running but after my first marathon in 2011, I just caught the bug.

“I love feeling fit and I love where running gets you.

“It has been my passport to travelling all over the world on crazy adventures.

Finishing a marathon at Union Glacier in Antarctica in 2017

“The North Pole has to be at the top of my list. It was -40C with windchill. We were running on drifting sea ice with men with guns along the way because of the risk of polar bears.

“I was wearing a balaclava because if any part of your skin was uncovered, you’d have frostbite in 30 seconds. It was absolutely extraordinary.”

Judy ran 20 marathons in 2020 and 21 in 2021. But it was in 2022, when she was trying to complete 22, that the adventurer was injured.

It was while she was returning from a marathon on King George Island in the Southern Ocean, that she was thrown from her cabin bed during a rough crossing and badly hurt her back. Her injuries were so severe that she needed surgery, but Judy is now back up and running again.

An emotional moment with a friend at the end of a marathon in Sydney, Australia

And when she married fellow runner David Totterdell last year, the newlyweds even dressed up as Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to complete a 26.2-mile race at Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey.

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At her fastest, Judy could run a marathon in less than five hours, setting her 4h 54min personal best in Reykjavik, Iceland.

But she reckons that her toughest challenge to date has been a 2015 marathon in Petra, Jordan, where she collapsed at the
finish line in temperatures approaching 50C.

The following year, Judy almost missed a marathon from the base camp of Mount Everest after suffering from extreme altitude sickness.

On a trek to Everest Base Camp for the Everest Marathon in 2016 (Judy Scrine)

Judy running in Madrid, Spain in 2017 (Judy Scrine)

But she bravely ploughed on and completed the run – which included a 900m climb – in around 12 hours, all with a yak bell around her neck.

Another highlight was the 2019 Pyongyang Marathon in North Korea, where locals packed into the Kim Il-sung Stadium to cheer on the finishers with rattles and drums.

Judy, from Charlwood, Surrey, started running to raise cash for charity after a close friend died of breast cancer. All money from her events goes to Breast Cancer Now.

Running in the intense heat in Dubai in 2017

And when she’s not running, Judy continues to raise money by hosting quiz nights, giving motivational talks and even writing books.

She has just published The Thinking Man’s Survival Guide to Managing a Menopausal Partner – with a percentage of profits going to Breast Cancer Now.

To support Judy’s fundraising efforts, visit JustGiving here. The ballot for the AJ Bell Great North Run closes on Monday at 10am. For more information or to enter, visit greatrun.org

Nicola Small