Founder, Too Fat to Run

How did Too Fat to Run come about?
Ten years ago, I was a sedentary office worker with an unhealthy lifestyle. A sobering performance at a local fun run spurred me into action and, after participating in the London Marathon and the London Triathlon, I turned my experience into a business. My goal is to convince people they don’t have to wait until they’re thin before they start to run.

Too Fat to Run started out as a personal blog in 2010 – an online diary about my training, which I set up to keep myself accountable when I secured a place to run the London Marathon. After a few months, I started to get a following of overweight runners who said they could identify with me.

In 2013, after having a baby, I decided to turn the blog into a business. I now have 40,000 followers; 2,000 women have done my courses; and my online running club, The Clubhouse, has 250 members.

Because I’ve faced the same challenges as them, I’ve managed to inspire many overweight women to get active. My members are the type of inactive people the government is trying to reach.

The club creates social connections: it’s not just about the running but about overall wellbeing. Many of my members suffer from depression or anxiety, so we talk a lot about self-care. 

How does the model work?
Membership costs £59 a year, which includes access to training programmes, a Facebook group, a weekly email with a task and a video message, and discounts for additional services such as our annual retreat.

Around 30 per cent of my members have been with me from the start, but I don’t worry too much about retention, because my service is a stepping stone for people to get the confidence to join a running club, a gym or suchlike.

Do you push the weight loss message?
No. Too Fat to Run is about getting active, not losing weight, although this is often a by-product. Lots of our members cancel their diet club subscription and start training for a marathon, so they find themselves naturally shrinking.  

What are your future plans?
I have proven solutions to get women active, so my initial plan is to get financial support from the government, or from Sport England, so that I can expand what I’m doing.

I’d like to train more coaches and sell licences to lead Too Fat to Run running groups. I’m also looking for industry partners, so we can run more programmes and expand my One Big Fat Run concept – a monthly 5k run which people can do on their own or in groups. Time doesn’t matter. It’s all about participation. So far, 8,000 men and women have taken part, but I’m aiming for one million.