Lord Wandsworth College student bids to become youngest woman to run the length of the UK
18-year-old Phoebe is aiming to become the youngest female to run from John O’Groats to Land's End this summer, beginning as soon as she finishes her A-level exams.
The sixth form student from Lord Wandsworth College near Hook in Hampshire hopes to run all 1,033 miles from the north-eastern tip of Scotland to England’s South West with her dad, Chris.
They are hoping to complete the challenge in 68 days, averaging around 17 miles each day.
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My headmaster sent me a link to a story about Imogen Boddy one day,' Phoebe explained. '
She’s an ultra-runner who became the youngest known female to run the length of Britain in 2022 and I thought, I can do that!'
Phoebe will begin her journey on Saturday, June 20th, just days after completing her A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and English. She hopes to take up a place studying Medicine at university in September.
'I used to hate everything to do with sport,' Phoebe continued.
'But a few years ago, my dad and I were looking for ways to spend more time together and started training for a fundraising run at my school, Lord Wandsworth College. We trained with the aim of running 5k and on the day, I ran 30.'
Phoebe and her dad will be raising money throughout this summer’s run for the Lord Wandsworth Foundation and National Autistic Society. '
The Foundation helps children who have lost one or both parents to access opportunities and education that can change lives,' Phoebe explained.
The budding medic was diagnosed with Autism in 2024 and believes that running has been transformative: '
Being Autistic means that my brain feels like a very busy place,' she revealed.
'When I run, it all slows down and I can just focus on moving. It allows me to switch off and get out into nature. It’s become a special place.'
Phoebe recently completed the London Marathon (also alongside her dad). He is in no doubt as to the real aim of this summer’s challenge:
'For me, this challenge is really about time,' admitted Chris.
'Phoebe is about to start university and the next chapter of her life. We realised this might be our last opportunity to spend two months together on a shared adventure before our lives naturally take different paths. We wanted to do something memorable, something that would push us both outside of our comfort zones and give us stories to tell for the rest of our lives.'
'Taking on a challenge of this scale requires courage, commitment and resilience and Phoebe has embraced it wholeheartedly. Watching her prepare for the challenge has been inspiring and I feel incredibly lucky that I get to share the experience with her.'
The father and daughter duo hope to cross the finish line at the end of August, with Phoebe receiving her A-level results en route. She will be joined at various stages of her journey by running clubs from across the country, staff and alumni from Lord Wandsworth College.
'Phoebe embodies everything that we encourage our students to strive for at LWC,' added Head of Lord Wandsworth College, Adam Williams. '
She has developed a lifelong love of sport and embraced every opportunity, many of which she has created herself. She deserves every success in this remarkable adventure. A number of us will be running with her at various points, with the wider college backing her every step of the way.'
You can find Phoebe’s fundraising page on Lord Wandsworth College's website.
June 2026