An Aberdeenshire couple have gone the extra mile for charity by completing a phenomenal 106 marathons in 106 days.
Fay Cunningham, 35, and Emma Petrie, 26, crossed the finish line on Saturday, setting a new Guinness World Record for the most consecutive marathons completed.
The duo from Aboyne have been running marathons across Aberdeenshire since February 19, to raise funds for both Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Speaking just moment after crossing the finish line, Ms Petrie said she still can’t believe its over.
‘Its still a bit surreal’
She said: “We had a really good finish and its crazy to see so many people supporting us. We don’t really believe that’s it and its over. I think because we have been doing this for so long and now its come to an end, its still a bit surreal.
“We are both absolutely delighted to achieve it together and the fact that both of our bodies held up is testament to how we took on the challenge.
“The fact that the two of us managed to do it and neither of us got injured and we both finished strong was a really good way to finish.
“To be able to both do it together and get to the finish line with each other was definitely the icing on the cake.”
The couple, who run fitness business Match My Workout, had originally set out to run 100 marathons over 100 days.
However, they were forced to up the stakes after two new attempts were made at the 100 marathons record.
Over the course of the last three months , Ms Cunningham and Ms Petrie have been running some of their favourite routes across the region.
On Sunday, they completed the Edinburgh Marathon, reaching their original target of 100 marathons.
They ended the feat on Saturday by completing three laps of nearby Glen Tanar on Deeside before crossing the finish line in their own back garden.
Looking back on the experience, the personal trainer said finding the motivation to keep going despite the weather conditions was a challenge.
She added: “I would say that getting out each day when you knew that it wasn’t going to be the most pleasant running conditions was probably the hardest thing.
“The first two weeks were definitely the most difficult; to get out when things were hurting and the body was still adapting.
“We were struggling to eat and get the fuel because our gut was a bit in stress but as the time passed, everything started to settle down and we got into a really good rhythm.
“From about day 15, we have been at the same sort of pace for the remainder of the challenge so we definitely settled into a nice rhythm.”
‘Hopefully by doing this we have inspired people’
The women have raised an incredible £30,500 from their efforts so far.
Ms Cunningham recently lost her father Alan to MND and Frontal Dementia, and Ms Petrie’s mum, Jan, died of cancer two years ago.
Ms Petrie said the level of support they have had has been incredible and “it means so much to both of us.”
“We are both pretty overwhelmed with how much we have raised so far and hopefully the total keeps going up now that we have actually finished the challenge,” she said.
“You always hope to raise a large sum by doing something like this but to actually see it, its pretty incredible. We are both really happy and touched by the generosity of everyone and by what people have donated and given to the charities. It means a lot.
“It definitely helps you get out of bed each day and run another marathon that’s for sure.”
Ms Petrie, added: “Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey; who’s believed in us and supported us.
“We couldn’t have done it without everyone sending us messages, running alongside us, giving us the support and best wishes. It is definitely a team effort and we are so pleased and can’t believe that we have done it.
“The whole point of doing this is was to raise awareness and inspire and hopefully by doing this we have inspired people to do it while they can.”
Their fundraising page will remain open until June 30.
You can read all about their efforts and donate to their cause on their page.
