13/03/2026
What helps set the mindset you need to get a new Personal Best?
This weekend, coached athlete Elizabeth ran a superb race at the Paddock Wood Half Marathon, coming home in a PB time of 1hr43. Elizabeth is in training for the London Marathon and has been ticking off her sessions like clockwork - motivated by a very special reason.
Elizabeth's 6-year-old daughter, Florence, has a rare motor speech disorder called CAS. This meant that for the first 4 years of her life, she didn't speak at all. She couldn't tell her parents she was happy, hurt or hungry. She spent her preschool years in silence. Since then, Florence has been slowly, painstakingly, learning to speak, one sound at a time. Hours of therapy, hours of repetition, hours of concentration. A marathon for sure.
In honour of Florence, Elizabeth is running her own first marathon, fitting in her training around Florence's therapy sessions, hospital visits and school interventions. She is raising money for the charity Speech and Language UK, whose early interventions can make a real difference on the lives of those children struggling to find their voices, and waiting to be heard.
If you've been inspired by Elizabeth and Florence's grit, you can donate using the link below:
https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/elizabeth-bull