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Rachel Tuffnell

London Marathon 2025

Donate to Rachel and help them hit their goal of £2000!

I’m running the London Marathon 2025 to fight for lung health!

Every minute, someone in the UK is diagnosed with a lung condition. I want to make a difference. I'm running the London Marathon 2025 for Asthma + Lung UK, the only UK charity that fights for everyone’s right to breathe. Every pound I'm able to raise will take us a step closer to a world where everyone has healthy lungs.

Just £22 allows one of Asthma + Lung UK's nurses to answer a call on the Helpline, offering potentially lifesaving advice. I'd be very grateful for any donations you could make!

As a Respiratory Physiotherapist I see the incredible work that Asthma and Lung UK does for my patients. To name a few things I love about Asthma and Lung UK- Breath Easy peer support groups, fabulous resources library, creating educational resources for healthcare professionals to standardise care and avoid post code lottery, leading work on health inequalities in lung disease, supporting cutting edge research, and being a voice to be heard in policy and by politicians! I have been an Asthma and Lung UK (formerly British Lung Foundation) professional for over 12 years, and in the last year have had the privileged to be a member of their Healthcare Professionals Council. 

I have run on and off for about 15 years, during which time I’ve had a hip surgery and 2 children, however have always found “races” daunting. 

I have recently faced my fear and competed the Cambridge half in 2024, my first race in over 12 years, and now have another half marathon planned in October as part of my training. 

I am determined to do a marathon before I’m 40- Wish me luck!!

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

£1,643 + £160.49 GiftAid

My Goal

£2,000

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My Achievements

My Updates

A little visit to the Expo

Wednesday 23rd Apr
Wow- how has time flown by so fast! All of my training runs are complete ✅ and I’ve collected my race pack today ✅ In the last few months marathon training I’ve clocked up over 350 miles and 50 runs! The big one is on Sunday 🙌

Week 5- marathon training update

Thursday 6th Feb
This week has been one of ups and downs… the start of the week I wasn’t feeling well and was fed up. The weather was cold, rainy, windy, and quite honestly generally miserable. I managed to get out for runs/ gym but barely hit 5k for most of the runs, and even the dog protested in the cold rain 🐶🙈 Bringing on the weekend, I had a couple of days away with lots of R&R, and started to feel better physically and emotionally. The absolute high of the week was running the Warwick Half Marathon today (Sunday) with Charlotte and Nathalie 😍 it was a very hilly route, but the sun was shining and with fabulous company through beautiful countryside! Thank you ladies!!

Marathon training- week4

Sunday 26th Jan
I did it! Storm Eowyn didn’t stop me getting out for a long run… 14 miles!!! My longest run EVER! I’ve never run further than a half marathon before so this was a massive achievement 🙌 the wind blew me sideways, backwards and occasionally forward, so it felt hard but I did it! I only had two other training runs this week, an easy 5k and tempo session. It’s been a tiring week at work and home so I was pleased for a little respite in the training plan.

Week 3 marathon training

Sunday 19th Jan
Marathon training update- Week 3. Up before 6am and out at 6.45am today (Sunday) for a 12 mile run followed by lake swim/ cold water therapy. This week I have run over 24 miles(!) and my training is really upping now. Yesterday I spent the day in London at the Asthma + Lung UK marathon training day 💪 so many incredible people are running for the charity, including those with lung disease themselves or those who have very sadly lost loved ones to lung disease. There were a few tears and lots of laughs (and equally lots of food to refuel)🫶 My training is steeply increasing now… 14 miles this week 😱 the furthest I’ve ever (EVER) run!!!!

Week 2 marathon training update

Saturday 11th Jan
Marathon training update- week 2! 10 mile “Long run” this morning in minus 4, frost and ice ❄️ no photos from the run as I was somehow freezing cold 🥶 yet red and sweaty 🥵 This weeks training included 3 mile tempo run, 5 mile easy run, strength and cross training at the gym, and an hour stretching in the sauna/ jakuzzi ☺️

Asthma & Lung UK parliamentary reception (November 2024)

Sunday 5th Jan
Alongside fundraising, I’m also supporting A&L UK as part of their healthcare professionals council. In November I attended their parliamentary reception to help to raise awareness of lung health amongst MPs and politicians. The money raised will help to continue this amazing work and ensure positive changes are made for generations to come!

Week 1 marathon training plan (16 weeks)

Sunday 5th Jan
A cold, slippery and sludgy 9 mile run in the freezing rain 🥶

Winter running

Sunday 17th Nov
The weather has turned and it’s really impacting on my motivation- I’ve mostly only run in the Spring and Summer with a tendency to hibernate in the Autumn and Winter! I set up a 10k coaching app programme… and have cancelled it as quite honestly am not in the right headspace. Instead I’ve been running twice a week and gym twice a week, with a focus on getting out the house, strength and conditioning, and my general wellbeing. This week I got to Sunday after only running once, so off I went in the freezing rain (after a warm up dog walk) and it actually felt ok 👍 

Here’s to maintaining some running until the big training starts around Christmas 🎄 

Great Eastern Half Marathon

Wednesday 16th Oct
After 12 weeks and over 180 miles of running in training, I ran the Great Easter Half Marathon on the 13th October. I was a bundle of nerves and found it all very daunting! I’m really having to take myself out my comfort zone to get ready for the marathon… only 8 weeks of easier intensity running, strength and conditioning work, before I hit the 16 week marathon training plan in December!

Running on holiday

Tuesday 23rd Jul
Well this is a first… usually my running shoes start at home when I go away, or in the suitcase if I have good intentions, as I’ve never actually gotten around to running whilst on holiday with the family. But here I am, running the North Norfolk coastal path, determined to keep my training up 💪 

Thank you to my Sponsors

£9

Sue Mcbean

Thinking of you xx

£23.10

Katie Poulton

You’ve got this Rachel!! You’ve worked so hard to get to this point, I am sure marathon day will be a breeze.

£10

Lauren Best

Wishing you lots of luck and strength although I know you will smash this. What an incredible woman you are can’t wait to see your pics 🥰 Lots of love Lauren Best

£26.25

Tony De Boeck

£20

Jane Swallow

Good Luck Rachel, hope you enjoy the day. You will do amazing 😁.

£15.75

Louise Turner

You’ve got this 👊👍

£315

Rob

Final training run done, time to enjoy the main event! Super proud, you’ll smash it! 👊 Enjoy every minute, and see you at mile 19! Xxx

£25

Oliver Culley

Well done Rachel! From The Culleys

£10

Fiona Brice

Good luck, Rachel! I’ll be cheering you on!

£15

Gary Barnes

Have a fabulous run, enjoy the victory lap

£15

Gary Reader

WHO’S AMAZING?? YOU’S AMAZING THAT’S WHO , go smash it… can’t wait to see you there 🇳🇬💚

£31.50

Steve Tuffnell

Go for it! Hoping for the PB!

£10

Stewart Welch

Go Rach from the Welch family

£15.75

Rhiannon Tricklebank-owens

It's going to be an amazing day, good luck!

£100

Nosh Amir-ebrahimi

You are an inspiration! 2 kids and a job and putting yourself through this gruelling training regime. Well done. So proud of you!

£10.50

Tricia Sale

Go super lady! Good Luck! You are doing amazingly. x

£10.50

Emma Ramsell

You are going to smash it mate xx so proud xxx

£10.50

Debbie Jackson

£4.20

Anonymous

Just topping up the last pledge a little more to help you keep going ^^

£23.10

Nicola Mansfield

Smashing it! You should be so proud of yourself. Thanks for keeping me going too x

£20

Caroline Thornton

Good luck from us all. You can do it 💪🏼

£50

Petrina, Matt, Henry, Archer And Owen

Keep going Rachel. We all love you and are super proud of you. Can't wait for you to cross the finish line xxx

£50

Lizzie And Ben

Well done Rach! We love you lots!

£15.75

Charlie Payne

You’ve got this Rach, best foot forward! 💕

£21

Kelly Pritchard

Good luck! Love Kelly , David, Evan, Owen and Seren! X

£5

Chris Foreman

Team Breathe Giving Day

£50

Rachel Tuffnell

£25

Anonymous

£40

Laura, Matt, Theo And Will Cottrell

Good luck for all the training and the marathon!

£23.10

Becky Augustus

Thanks very much for your advice on social media! 😃

£23.10

Steph, Sadie & Xavier

You will smash it! Embrace and enjoy every moment of the race, and look forward to the triumph of crossing that finish line… and being handed a large glass of G&T of course!

£7.35

Debbie Jackson

£500

Ben & Liz

Good luck on your race!

£10.50

Julie

Go Rachel 😍xx

£42

Philip And Rachel X

Well done Rachel

£50

Mum & Dad

We are so proud of you.

£10

Nathalie Williams

Good luck.. sorry it's only a small donation but it's a start.... GO SMASH IT !

^