Ruth, 104, completes marathon walk

104-year old Ruth, from Newbury, crossed the finishing line of her marathon walk at Newbury Racecourse on 4 November.

A long term supporter of Thames Valley Ambulance, the centenarian was forced to come up with a different fundraising activity as the pandemic put an end to her coffee mornings. Eager to get outdoors after the first lockdown, Ruth started a daily walk on 8 September around her block and was aiming for 104 laps in total, equal to over 20 miles. She accepted the challenge of undertaking the full marathon distance after her granddaughter had thrown down the gauntlet.

Ruth was originally inspired by, and wanted to walk further than, fellow centenarian Captain Sir Tom Moore.

“I felt empowered by what he achieved at 100 years old” said Ruth. “Thames Valley Air Ambulance is a cause that is very close to my heart. I’ve been supporting the charity ever since my son broke his leg in three places and needed emergency medical treatment. It’s an amazing life-saving service for our community.”

Amanda McLean, Chief Executive of Thames Valley Air Ambulance, said: “Ruth is an inspiration to us all and Thames Valley Air Ambulance is so lucky to have her support. As a charity, we rely on the amazing fundraising efforts of people like Ruth so that we can provide our life saving services to the most critically ill and injured people. There was never any doubt that she would complete her marathon walk. Congratulations Ruth for crossing the finish line!”

Thames Valley Air Ambulance is a charity at the frontline of saving lives. We are only able to do what we do thanks to our generous supporters, and inspiring fundraisers like Ruth. Please consider donating to Ruth’s challenge, via her JustGiving page, and help us continue to provide critically ill and injured patients the best chance when the worst happens.