Karen Vilday, Marzena Stevens, Natalie Tribe and Laura Williams with their group of supporters

A Havant based, Low Carbon Technology Team Manager for Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has raised nearly £6,000 for the British Heart Foundation by completing the gruelling 100k Race to the King trail run in tribute to her late fiancé.

Karen Vilday’s fiancé, Gary, tragically passed away from a cardiac arrest while out running and had attempted the Race to King the previous year; completing three-quarters of the course before making the difficult decision to withdraw from the run after feeling unwell.

Determined to honour his memory - and raise both funds and awareness for the British Heart Foundation - Karen decided to take on the challenge herself, as she explains:

“Aiming to complete the full 100km Race to the King in tribute to Gary and raise money for the British Heart Foundation wasn’t a decision I made lightly.

“I had concerns about how my current niggles and small injuries would hold up during the rigorous training and the race itself, but my determination to honour Gary's memory fuelled my commitment.”

Gary and Karen

Her commitment paid off last month when she and the other 348 participants took to the trail through the South Downs National Park, with a challenging figure-of-eight course that included both a flat coastal loop and the hilly ‘Castle Loop’ with an incline of over 5,400ft.

Despite knee issues, resulting in a visit to the medic tent at halfway, and navigating the ‘Castle Loop’ in the dark and the rain, Karen was determined to finish the full 100km trail; power-walking the final 25km and crossing the finish line around 4am on Sunday – completing over 102km in total in just under 21 hours and raising over £5,500 for charity.

Reflecting on her achievement, Karen said:

“I am so pleased to have completed my first ultramarathon race in Gary’s memory and am immensely grateful for all the support and donations from the SSEN family.

“It was an amazing experience that included a huge mixture of emotions. I will cherish this experience forever, but will NEVER repeat it!”

In recognition of her incredible achievement, SSEN has made an additional £300 donation to the British Heart Foundation in her name, doubling the usual amount given to colleagues who fundraise and bringing Karen’s total raised to £5,809.

Karen Vilday is fundraising for British Heart Foundation (justgiving.com) – her official page will remain open and welcoming further donations until mid-September.