Ruth Astle has revealed her first race of the season for the 2024 calendar, with a slightly different event lined up to what many might expect.

Astle will help pace her younger brother at the London Marathon in April, who will be attempting to break a Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon by a person with multiple sclerosis.

In her most recent YouTube video, the 34-year-old explains why she has decided to help out and details the fundraising the record attempt hopes to do for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“We are aiming to run just under three hours”

Having found out in 2019 that he had multiple sclerosis, Astle’s brother Jono has since done a number of races. Last year, Astle shared, he asked her to help pace him in his world record attempt.

“The first race of the season for me is going to be the London Marathon, where I’ll be pacing my younger brother to a Guinness World Record to try and be the fastest person who has multiple sclerosis.

“We are aiming to run just under three hours, which should be relatively easy for me and we are just trying to raise as much money as possible for the MS Society to go into research, treatments and the wider support network for the people with MS and their families.” 

“It came as a big shock”

Having been diagnosed with the condition, Astle recalled how much of a shock it was to hear the news and shared how she hopes her platform can help the fundraising efforts of the record attempt.

“Jono was diagnosed in 2019 and it came as a big shock to the whole family. I think he had gone over some tests and we all thought it won’t be anything that serious but when he came back with the diagnosis I think the only people we knew as a family with MS were quick debilitated and ill.

“The drugs that he is on now are letting him life as well as he can be. When he asked me to pace him last year, I said yes as I thought with the slightly different platform I have I could help raise money and awareness and so I signed up.”