Malton: Imo Boddy to run between and climb UK’s three peaks

Imo Boddy, from Malton, hopes to break the existing time record, which stands at seven days and 31 minutes, as she runs between and scales Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon.

The 24-year-old personal trainer holds the record for being the youngest known woman to run the length of Britain – a feat she completed in 22 days in 2022, aged just 22. She raised £26,000 for mental health charity Young Minds through the challenge.

Imo Boddy before and after running the length of Britain in 2022 (Image: Supplied)

And in 2021 she ran seven marathons in seven days to raise awareness of mental health charity Mind.

Imo’s latest challenge starts on Wednesday (May 15) and will see her travel a total distance of 423 miles (680 kilometres).

The current record was set by Olympian Ann Sayer in 1979.

Record 'more than a personal goal' - Imo

Imo said breaking the record “is more than a personal goal”.

“It’s about setting a new benchmark in endurance sports and inspiring other young women to push their limits.

“I count myself incredibly lucky to have an extended family who support me no matter what and truly believe I am capable of this challenge.”

Extreme athlete Imo Boddy from Malton (Image: Supplied)

Imo will be supporting the charity Inspiring Girls International, which aims to raise awareness of female role models beyond traditional sectors.

“Recent studies have revealed that young girls draw significant inspiration from sporting heroes. Our goal with this challenge is to expand their horizons and showcase a diverse range of role models,” she said.

Imo is being sponsored by sports equipment manufacturer Salomon and nutrition brand Naak for the challenge.

Extreme athlete Imo Boddy from Malton (Image: Supplied)

Her support crew is headed by operations manager and coach Chris Taylor. The same crew supported Imo in her previous successful record attempt.

Global tracking specialist Vismo is also loaning her three Garmin satellite communication devices to help her along the way.

The devices will let Vismo know Imo’s location and share the information with her coach and support team.

Read next: 

• Tri-challenge for Imogen
• Imogen’s staggering 60kms a day for 22 days

Colin Dale , Vismo’s global sales director, said: “We wish Imo all the best for her attempt on the 45-year old record and are very pleased to be helping her technically and with sponsorship.

“The Garmin devices are robust and extremely reliable under any running and climbing conditions.”

Imo attended Sedbergh School in Cumbria and, while there, created The Boddy Challenge.

The endurance event consists of a 10-kilometre swim in Lake Windermere, running a marathon around Lake Windermere and then a 40-kilometre cycle back to Sedbergh from Windermere.

“I’ve always loved setting myself meaty mental and physical challenges. Testing your limits and seeing how much you can achieve is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have,” Imo previously said.