Abbie Bayley, from Farmhill, has completed a challege to run 100km (62 miles) to raise money for Manx Eating Disorder Support.

Abbie, a sales executive for the Isle of Man Creamery, raised £770, surpassing her target of £500.

To keep her exercise local during lockdown, Abbie completed the challenge by running a loop of Farmhill every day, aiming for a daily total of 5km (3.1 miles) to meet the monthly target of 100km.

It was however not always possible to maintain this consistency whilst working from home, and so she also added a few 10km (6.2 mile) runs in order to make up the distance.

Abbie, who describes herself as being ’in no way a runner’ added that recovery was the hardest part of the challenge due to the lack of rest time between runs, having previously been accustomed to running two to three times a week.

Asked why she chose the charity, Abbie said: ’I struggled with eating for most of my teenage years. There was a stage where I weighed seven stone (44.45kg) - for context I’m five foot nine inches (175cm) tall.

’I’ve struggled with my relationship with food for many years, thankfully I’m fine with it now, completely recovered - but I thought this was an opportunity to help someone who is in the same position that I was in, and that would be perfect.’

Abbie also noted how eating disorders had ’sky rocketed and spiralled’ during the pandemic, and so charities like it ’now more than ever need our help in order to help those most in nee’.

Manx Eating Disorder Support said that the funds raised would go a long way.

The charity also confirmed that the last few months had seen an increase in people approaching it, adding that it had also been ’signposting’ people on to other services which can help them, including directing concerned parents who have gotten in contact.

People can still donate to Abbie’s fundraiser at: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/abbie-bayley?utm_term=ERDAqgG3R