Emma Preston and Clint Nykamp battled blazing the sun, torrential rain and a rogue bicycle to complete the Brighton Marathon, the first race in The Fine & Country Foundation’s 12 Marathon Challenge.

The Brighton Marathon was the first race in the year-long endurance challenge to raise funds to fight the causes for homelessness. Brighton hosts the largest marathon in the UK, save for London, and on Sunday 15th April, 12,000 runners took their places on the start line, while 150,000 spectators cheered them on. Emma and Clint began the race together, but were quickly swept up in the torrent of runners were separated.

Clint strode ahead but soon noticed his calf muscle giving way and slowed his pace. At Mile 11, he was overtaken by runners dressed as a badger and a post-box, which helped him to break through his mental wall and stride to the finish line in a respectable five hours 40 minutes.

Emma, mother of two, said, “if I can do it, anyone can” on BBC Radio Surrey, faced her own mental battles in the race. At Mile 16 she was cold, soaked by the rain and about to give up. She called her husband who was standing in the cheering crowds and he cycled down the race course to give Emma his coat and pedal alongside her for a further mile while she regained her mental strength. After this minor blip, Emma raced to the finish line in six hours 34 minutes.

The pair will run one marathon per month for 12 months to raise money and awareness for homelessness through The Fine & Country Foundation. They aim to raise £1,000 per marathon and are currently on track to reach their goal.