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New Year, New You Charity Challenges


Stronger with every mile P


ursuing something big rarely comes without strain, surprise or transformation, according to Adele Roberts.


After running seven marathons while recovering from cancer and adapting to life with a stoma, the DJ and broadcaster has gained a perspective shaped not just by fi nish lines, but by the long road that led to each one. Her story begins with what she


calls the “best and worst” thing she’s ever done: the 2023 London Marathon. At the time, Adele was still “so ill and aff ected by the eff ects of chemotherapy”. She was adjusting to “scarred and damaged skin” and to life with her stoma. But the race became a milestone in more ways than one. “I fi nished the marathon less than 18 months after having bowel cancer surgery,” she says, “and set a new Guinness World Record as the fastest female with an ileostomy to ever complete the London Marathon.”


A reason to run T at achievement sparked something unexpected. “What if I tried to run all six?” she says, referring to the Abbott World Marathon Majors — Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and Tokyo, later expanded to include Sydney. Taking it on would be gruelling, but Adele found purpose in


the challenge. She ran to raise money for Cancer Research and the Attitude Foundation, discovering that this act of giving back off ered her, as she puts it, “a reason to run”. Completing seven marathons


in two years — and holding the fastest aggregate time for a woman with a stoma to fi nish all the World Marathon Majors — required more than determination. It demanded a kind of momentum that began long before race day. “I just remember thinking I need to get back out of this bed as soon as possible,” she says of her recovery. “I wanted to keep moving forward.” “After surgery, I couldn’t really


change how it had aff ected my body,” she says. “It’s transformed my body forever. I have a stoma now, I have a large piece of my bowel missing. But I won’t let it change me personally.”


Step by step Adele draws on a line from her book Personal Best: From Rock Bottom to the Top of the World: “It’s not what you go through in life, it’s who you become in the process.” And for her, that process unfolded in training as much as competition. “Training is where the hard work is done,” she says. “It’s the training when you actually learn the most.”


Promotional Content • Saturday 10th January 2026


Adele Roberts has completed seven marathons while recovering from bowel cancer and living with a stoma. Here, she refl ects on why the toughest battles are often unseen. Words: Jack Slater


Her strategy was to shrink huge


goals into manageable steps. “Take it day by day, bit by bit,” she says. “I didn’t think about all sevenmarathons at once. Break it down and try to make it to the next lamp post, just keep going to the next song.”


Getting it done To stay focused, Adele set incremental, achievable targets. “T e fi rst goal was to get to the start line,” she says. “Once I got there, my goal was ‘just try and fi nish this marathon’.” Yet even the strongest mindset had


limits. Kindness to herself became essential. “T ere were days when my biggest achievement was getting out of bed,” she explains. “Sometimes it hurt so much when I was on chemotherapy that I could barely stand up. I could barely walk. T ose are the battles that people don’t see.” For anyone convinced they


could never take on such distances, Adele off ers reassurance. “If you’re reading this and you’re thinking ‘I couldn’t do a marathon’, that doesn’t matter,” she says. “Life is the most important marathon.” “When you carry on and don’t give


up,” she says, “that’s the greatest medal — they’re the moments where you really win.”


ADELE ROBERTS


10K, HALF & FULL MARATHON @ KEW GARDENS


Start a bike bus to pedal your way healthy this new year


Looking to embed healthy habits in 2026? Gym memberships are known to surge in January, but most new members drop out by spring. For an exercise boost that sticks, try the cycling scheme that’s trending across the country and fi ts seamlessly into your existing routine — a bike bus. A bike bus is like a school bus,


but instead of children boarding a vehicle along a set route, they join a supervised group on their cycles. It’s a fun, safe and eco-friendly solution to the school run that the whole family can take part in. T e Bikeability Trust has all the tips and advice you need to get your


To get 2026 off to a pedalling start, scan the QR code or visit bikeability.org.uk/bike-bus


12 / 13 SEPTEMBER 2026


own local bike bus in gear, including a bike bus leaders’ guide, good prac- tice guidance, case studies, accessible videos and animation to help start you off . Plus, it’s off ering fully funded training to all new and existing bike bus leaders.


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