Kia Ora whanau. In 2015, having ran a marathon whilst dressed as a crayon, Elise Downing decided to set herself a bigger challenge. I mean, if you’ve run 42.2 in crayola cosplay anything else is gravy, right? To cut a long story short, in 2016 Elise ran the entire coast of Britain - London to London. That’s 5000 miles, 301 days, 7 pairs of running shoes, and according to Elise, approximately 987 slices of cake.Undertaking this type of challenge is undoubtedly life-changing and since this, running has become an integral part of Elise’s life. Elise has relayed her experience as a public speaker, motivating other young people to undertake challenges that they may have thought unthinkable. Elise was recently in New Zealand in her role with Breca Swimrun, handling social media and marketing for the company. Flying solo, Eugene met up with Elise in Ponsonby armed with a microphone and ginger slice to talk about Elise’s journey towards running around Britain, how the process has impacted on her wider life, dealing with recognition and how what started as a solitary undertaking exposed Elise to a multitude of people displaying kindness and community. We also ask, because we’ve always wanted too….just what is Swimrun? And how do you have a greatest run ever that isn’t running around a whole country? Enjoy!

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