Woman hopes to run 200 marathons in 200 days

Megan Boxall started her 200-day challenge at Sizewell Beach, in Suffolk, on Saturday

A woman who is aiming to run 200 marathons in 200 days has set off on her challenge.

Megan Boxall, who lives in Thorpeness, Suffolk, decided to run around Britain's coastline after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last year.

The 33-year-old said she hoped the challenge would "raise awareness and money for the Samaritans and hopefully do something really positive".

She started her 5,240-mile (8,433km) journey on Saturday at Sizewell Beach and hopes to finish at the same place in May.

Ms Boxall said she initially had the idea after her uncle, who was diagnosed with Parkison's disease, decided to walk around Britain's coastline.

"It was always in the back of my mind as something I wanted to do," she said.

After her diagnosis and struggling with her mental health, she started to run with her dog Shadow and developed a passion for it.

"When I was running in January I thought 'I am feeling so much better for being on the coast' and it has been so healing for me and my mental health," she said.

Ms Boxall started running with her dog Shadow

The first day of her journey saw her starting at Sizewell Beach before finishing in Butley.

Talking about choosing Sizewell Beach as her starting point, she said: "I am finding it quite inspiring at the moment with all of the work going on there, so that is the start and finish point.

"A couple of days in Suffolk and then into Essex, my first day in Essex with be Maldon."

Her route will take her past London, Land's End, the coast of Wales and Scotland, before returning to England for the remaining 917 miles.

Ms Boxall is starting the challenge in Suffolk and running around Britain's coastline

Ms Boxall, a financial journalist, is aiming to become the fastest woman to run around Britain's coastline, in a hope to be quicker than Linzi Bell, from Brightlingsea, Essex, who completed a similar challenge in 298 days.

Ms Boxall said the furthest she had ran as practice was about five-and-a-half marathons in a week, adding that she "was excited" for the rest of the challenge.