Jersey woman runs ultramarathon with dog for charity

A Jersey woman has run an ultramarathon with her dog accompanying her for most of the journey to raise money for a mental health charity.

Natalie Hodge ran 30 miles (48.3km) around the coast of the island with her dog Fleur.

The springer spaniel ran a marathon distance of 26.2m (42.2km) while Ms Hodge ran the rest on her own.

They have raised more than £1,750 for Jersey Mind, which Ms Hodge said was an important cause to her after losing people close to her due to mental health problems.

Ms Hodge said she had been training with Fleur for months to make sure she they were both fit enough for the challenge.

She said “it was quite a sight to see” as friends and family cheered her on at the finish and “Fleur has helped me through a lot” since they started running together.

Ms Hodge added: “There are people out there who are struggling quite a lot and Mind Jersey is a charity that people can go to for free and they support a lot of people.”

Louise Falle and her dog Dylan joined Ms Hodge and Fleur on the run to offer moral support.

Ms Falle said: “I knew it was a very important cause for her and I wanted to support her… It was beautiful weather for a perfect day.

“Natalie was really good at controlling Fleur and making sure that she didn’t do too much or she would have overheated and exerted herself too much.”

Francesca Monticelli was at the end of the run in Beauport to celebrate Ms Hodge and Fleur’s success.

She said “they have been absolutely phenomenal” and she was “so incredibly proud” as they crossed the finish line in Beauport.

Ms Monticelli added: “Natalie is an amazing friend but also an amazing runner as well, so I just wanted to support her and the charity as well.”

Shauna Walsh, a vet nurse from the UK charity the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), said running with a dog could be good, but some things had to be taken into consideration.

She said: “Running can be great way to create a special bond with your dog, as long as they are introduced and built up to any long distances slowly.”

She added that people should “keep an eye on the weather” and “pack water and snacks for your dog”.

The charity also said breeds such as spaniels had typically high energy levels but not all dogs may be suitable for such exercise.