Derbyshire runner and The Running Channel presenter completed 42 marathons in a year in honour of late brother
A Derbyshire runner and podcast presenter completed 42 marathons in a single year in honour of her late brother.
In 2025, Jesseca Furness took on one of the biggest challenges of her life: running 42 marathons in 12 months, in the year her eldest brother Eddie would have turned 42.
Jesseca, 30, grew up near Matlock and has transformed personal loss into a remarkable commitment to endurance running and fundraising.
After losing her father as a teenager and then her mother during her first semester at university, Jess completed her first marathon on her 24th birthday in support of breast cancer awareness.
Years later, following the tragic death of her eldest brother, Eddie, Jess has raised funds for the air ambulance service that responded to her brother's accident and for Big Moose, a mental health charity that supported her through her grief and continues to provide life-changing support to many others.
Now based in London and a presenter on The Running Channel, the new documentary, ‘42. Dear Eddie, Love Jess’, goes behind the scenes of Jess’ extraordinary year.
Jess said: “The mental battle during the 42 marathons was probably something I hadn’t anticipated quite as much. The challenge was incredibly personal. I was doing it for my eldest brother, who would have turned 42 last year, and that was also one of the biggest things that kept me going when it got hard. Running has helped me through grief at so many key points in my life. It has given me somewhere to put difficult emotions, a reason to get outside and move forward on days when that felt hard. A huge part of the challenge was wanting to show other people just how powerful movement can be for your mental health, while also raising awareness and money for some incredible charities doing important work in that space.”
The Running Channel is designed to entertain and support runners of every ability and experience.
‘42. Dear Eddie, Love Jess' is a story of resilience, remembrance and the power of movement to navigate life's challenges. It will premiere on The Running Channel YouTube on Thursday, September 17 at 8pm.