Many uplifting and inspirational stories emerge from the London Marathon. Few involve athletes who have broken their club record while overcoming huge personal challenges but Ruby Jones, of Thanet Roadrunners, has done just that and is happy to share her story with runABC readers.

Thanet Roadrunners, based in Ramsgate, Kent, have club records going back 43 years. Any record takes some beating, but the marathon has extra kudos attached, so when Ruby took the women's time below three hours when aged 35, it was a special moment in the club's history.

What makes Ruby’s achievement even more remarkable is that in 2019, she was diagnosed with the eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa. She had osteopenia (low bone mineral density), bradycardia (abnormally slow heart rate), low blood sugar, and failing kidneys. In Ruby’s words: “I was in all sorts of trouble”.

In an incredibly open account, written by Thanet clubmate Jon Holl, Ruby shares her battle with the illness and having to move back in with her parents when aged 31 as an alternative to hospitalisation. Ruby describes the yo-yo phase that followed as she slowly regained a healthy relationship with food...and running:

"I needed to change my behaviour, and being at home with my parents helped me do just that. Previously, buying food had involved analysing every little content, and then cooking it built my anxiety. Being at home with my mum cooking meant all I had to do was eat it.

"Even this wasn’t easy, though. I didn’t realise how far I had gone. I started to eat and suffered from hyperphagia (extreme hunger) after a period of extreme starvation. Oedema (fluid retention) followed, and I was unable to run at all. This really hit me, and I relapsed. It took me two years to reach a healthy balance, going from one extreme to another. I had to stop my illness from dictating everything I did."

Happily, Ruby did find that essential balance, and gradually her love of running returned. She vowed to revise her own club marathon record (3:06:55) with the ultimate goal to duck under three hours. On Sunday, 27 April 2025, her dream became a reality on The Mall as she drove powerfully for the finish line (pictured) in 2:56:21 – and smashed it!

To read Ruby's story in full, and for valuable advice on eating disorders in sport, click here.

Photo courtesy of Thanet Roadrunners/Ruby Jones