Ash’s Marathon Effort Raises More Than 13K for Rebecca House

What started as a bold charity effort to run 12 marathons in 12 days has become one of the most uplifting community stories of the year.

Ashley Humphrey set off on November 25, planning to cover over 300 miles by December 6 to raise money for Rebecca House Children’s Hospice.

Before he began, Ash shared his mission in simple terms: ‘It’ll be both physically and mentally tough, but every mile is for the children and families who rely on their incredible care.’

Ash isn’t an endurance runner. In fact, he only started running 18 months ago and completed his first ever marathon earlier this year.

But that didn’t stop him throwing himself into the challenge ‘with grit, heart and a promise to do something meaningful’.

Along the way, the community rallied around him.

Runners joined him for sections of the route (including Gef 30 Under 30 winner Percy Hampton), people donated, shared his posts, and turned out to cheer, from Noble’s parkrun, where he began marathon number five, to the long, wet stretches out to Peel and back.

The Santa’s on a Bike and Plan.Com team joined to help boost fundraising, collecting donations for Rebecca House.

For nine days, Ash pushed through brutal Manx weather: wind, rain, hail and deep fatigue. But on Thursday, after completing 9.5 marathons, he faced the one obstacle he couldn’t run through.

A stress fracture.

In an emotional update, Plan.Com confirmed he had made ‘the incredibly tough, but absolutely right, decision to stop after completing 9.5 marathons of his 12 marathon challenge.’ Continuing would have risked long-term injury.

What followed was an outpouring of admiration. ‘There’s no ‘almost’ about this.There’s only pride. There’s only gratitude. There’s only respect for the courage it takes to start something like this… and the wisdom to stop’, his team said.

Ash’s nine-day effort had already raised an amazing £12,000 for Rebecca House, a total that has now climbed to more than £13,315, smashing his original goal.

The next day, with his challenge behind him and his leg in bits, Ash was back in the Victoria Road office on crutches, but smiling.

‘A trip to A&E last night confirmed what his legs were shouting yesterday, stopping was 1000% the right call. A battered body, a pair of crutches and a heart that’s completely full.’

Ash may not have crossed the finish line alongside the magical Santa’s on a Bike motorcade on Saturday as he had planned, but what he achieved has resonated far beyond a single moment.

‘Ash smashed his £12k target, brought an entire community together and raised money for one of the most important causes on our island.’

If you’d still like to support his incredible effort, donations can be made at: www.justgiving.com/page/soab-ash-mega-marathon-2025

Ash, we recommend some rest, recovery and just know this: you’ve made a HUGE difference.