Keighley marathon man Harry Marshall completes 10 in 10 countries for British Heart Foundation

Harry, who was working abroad in Australia with his girlfriend Morgan Rook at the time, said: “My stepdad Keith called to say your mum was going to hospital. Within a few hours he’d called again, this time saying she was now gravely ill.

“I was preparing to go home, but mum was given just 24 hours to live. I was heartbroken to know I wasn’t going to make it. I had to say goodbye over the phone. Keith later told me I was the last person she spoke to that she could understand. She died six hours later.”

Harry decided to take on the mammoth challenge during this poignant month to “help keep her memory alive”. Supported in a campervan by Morgan, 27, Harry started his challenge in Amsterdam, Netherlands on July 2 before travelling through 10 countries including Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy and Germany ending in Slovenia on July 11.

The 26-year-old has clocked up an immense 425km (264 miles) in just 47 hours, while incorporating a gruelling 3,800m of elevation into his run.

Having raised nearly £6,000 for the BHF’s lifesaving research Harry said: “The BHF means a lot to me because of the support they were able to give us during my mum’s illness. Whilst it was sadly too late for mum, just knowing that the research they fund will ultimately help save more lives – that’s why I want to do my bit to help.”

Alison’s heart health issues began in 2007 when she started experiencing heart palpitations. It was later discovered that she had a leaky valve.

In August 2018, following another spell in hospital, Alison was diagnosed with heart failure. Later that year she underwent open heart valve replacement surgery but her condition had deteriorated.

Heart failure occurs when the heart is not pumping blood around the body as well as it should, most commonly when the heart muscle has been damaged. This damage can be sudden or happen over months or years.

There is currently no cure for heart failure and treatments that are available attempt only to treat the symptoms and improve quality of life.

Harry said: “Mum was so brave, never really letting on to my brothers and I how bad things were. I’m the youngest of three so I always got special treatment. She was just very kind, loving, always looking out for us. She would do anything to make sure her boys were ok.”

Sadly, in October 2019 Alison suffered a suspected heart attack following the loss of her son Tom, Harry’s older brother, who died by suicide.

Tests showed her heart was enlarged and not pumping properly. Her condition continued to deteriorate as she suffered with chest pain, extreme fatigue, and breathlessness in her final years. 

Since her death in July 2021, Harry has been on a mission to give back to the heart charity, raising thousands of pounds by taking on multiple running challenges over the past few years.

He said: “I’m by no means a professional runner but just someone who has found a love for the sport and is trying to use that to turn a horrendous experience into something positive.  I’ve met a lot of runners since starting this journey and I’ve found a lot of long-distance endurance runners have suffered loss or major trauma at some point in their lives. But running gives them, and me a sense of overcoming adversity.”

He added: “This challenge has certainly taken from me so much more than I thought it would. There were so many times I wanted to stop but I just kept my mum’s voice in my head. I know she has been watching over me from afar. She would be saying I was bonkers, but she would be so proud. Knowing that I’m raising funds for research that can help keep families together longer kept me going. Mum was taken from us far too soon. I just hope the money I raise can stop that happening to someone else.”

To support Harry’s challenge, search for ‘The Heart of Europe’ on the JustGiving website.