Gabi's Marathon story - "running has always been part of my life."

Gabi from Brazil, who’s running this year’s London Marathon to fundraise for Crimestoppers, shares her very special story with us…

Running has been a sort of therapy

When Crimestoppers asked me if I had any story to share, I can tell you that running has always been part of my life since I was very young. Over the years, it became a sort of therapy—the place I would go to when I needed a breather, to organize my thoughts, to relieve stress.

I had never considered running a marathon - I was happy with half the distance - until I watched my husband run his first marathon. I found it so moving that I decided to give it a try, but at that moment I told him: just one!

One becomes many…

They say many people feel traumatized after running a marathon, due to the effort, the pain, etc. But I crossed the finish line in Berlin (2019) so emotional and happy that the first thing I said was: I would do it all over again! Then the pandemic delayed my plans to run another marathon, but in 2022 I ran Chicago.

That’s when I thought: I want to become a 6 Star Finisher! And I started focusing more and more on my training, so that one day I could qualify for Boston.

A setback – and an inspirational spectator

2023 was the year I ran a mountain marathon, which was a very interesting experience, but after that, I dedicated myself intensely to London 2024, where I had a great chance of achieving the long-dreamed-of qualifying time. But when your body is ready and your mind isn’t, things might not go as expected. I put so much pressure and expectations on myself that I ended up having a major panic attack the night before - throughout the whole night. I didn’t sleep, I felt really sick – but even so, I ran the race.

Obviously, I didn’t get the result I wanted. I don’t even know how I managed to finish the race; actually, I do: with the help of the crowd, who supported me the entire way. At one point, I stopped, crying a lot, and a spectator came up to me, held my hands, and said, “Look at me - you’re going to finish this race! Repeat after me: we don’t give up!” That was a moment I’ll keep in my heart forever. I felt like I deserved another chance in London, to experience all that amazing energy in a lighter way.

A second setback – but the way ahead is clearer

I registered again through you, but I decided I would run another marathon in 2024 to get my qualifying time, so I could run London calmly and enjoy every kilometre. I trained so hard, and went to Buenos Aires chasing that time… but guess what happened the night before? Another panic attack. Only this time, I didn’t even go to the race. I came back to Brazil, looked for a sports psychologist, and since October I’ve been working on the issue of the pressure I put on myself - on something that used to be my escape valve and ended up becoming a burden.

I did this training cycle with the same dedication, but with more lightness, trying to value all my effort, resilience, and discipline. I’ve been trying to forget a bit about the qualifying time to reconnect with the joy of running - doing something for me and only for me!

Race day

I don’t know what’s going to happen on race day, but I’m sure I’m already a big winner - for recognizing that my emotional health wasn’t okay, for seeking help, and for daring, once again, to take on this transformative distance.

May it be a beautiful day!

And good luck, Gabi, from all of us here at Crimestoppers. We’ll be there on the day, cheering you and all our runners on.

If you thiink you might be interested in taking on the 2026 TCS LOndon Marathon and fundraising for Crimestoppers...

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April 18 2025