Southwater residents line village streets to support mum’s wedding dress run

Anna Davey, 34, ran six miles wearing the dress yesterday, April 26, to raise money for the NHS.

She said she was due to take on the London Marathon but chose to run 26.2 miles across the past week instead when the race was postponed due to coronavirus.

Anna, a child minder and part time waitress, added: “I had initially just planned to complete the marathon over the week.

“I was thinking what could I do that’s just a bit out there and crazy.”

Anna said her little sister suggested running the final leg while wearing her wedding dress.

She added: “I thought yes – that’s it.”

But Anna said she was ‘blown away’ by the community support she received as she smashed her fundraising goal of £40, raising more than £700 to date.

People in the village lined the streets holding up signs and cheering for Anna as she completed her run, while following social-distancing guidelines.

Anna said: “It’s been absolutely incredible. I wanted to raise as much money as possible.”
She added that her other younger sister is a paediatric nurse.

Anna said: “I just feel so in awe of her and all of her colleagues around the country.

“I wanted to do this small and silly thing just as a way to say thank you.”

Wearing the dress was a bit embarrassing according to Anna.

She added: “I’m not normally somebody who would do crazy things like that.”

But Anna said after hitching up the front, running in the dress was ‘surprisingly okay’ and she completed her fastest 10km time yet.

She added: “It was all the support from the community pushing me to go faster.

“With the cheering and waving and encouragement I just wanted to do my best.

“It was so, so special. It just made me feel quite emotional.

“It does massively highlight the importance of our community. It definitely makes me feel so privileged to live in Southwater.”

Anna said she still hopes to complete the London Marathon in October.

It will be the third time she has trained for the 26 mile run, she added.

She also had a place for the 2019 event but had to pull out due to injury.

To donate to Anna’s fundraiser see https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/anna-davey4

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