From Swansea’s first half marathon to the streets of London, Front Runner Events Managing Director; Tash Smith shares her story and running journey with us...

Tash's running journey began in 2014, when we announced the inaugural half marathon for Swansea. 

Until then, she’d only occasionally taken part in 5Ks and 10Ks without much training. But the excitement of a major local race sparked something new: determination! Signing up for the Swansea Half Marathon lit a fire that would see her fall in love with running, pushing herself through distances from 5Ks to half marathons, always chasing progress and personal growth.

Two years later, Tash joined the team at Front Runner Events, where her career in the running events sector began. 

In the same year, not only did she rise to the challenge at work, she also managed to tick off a major bucket-list goal for her - completing the London Marathon. Running for charity, she raised nearly £1,500 and completed the race in 4:57:40. Amazingly, she secured a place again in 2017—this time through the public ballot—and once again chose to run for charity, raising over £600 and shaving her time down to 4:39:08.

But, her marathon journey didn’t stop there! Tash has completed the Great North Run, the New York Marathon, and countless local races. In 2020, she gained another London Marathon ballot entry, but COVID restrictions meant the race was held for elite's only. Undeterred, she completed the virtual race around Swansea with a friend and deferred her entry to 2022.

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As her training ramped up, reaching 16-18 mile long runs and consistent strength training, life delivered an unexpected twist—Tash discovered she was pregnant. She made a brave attempt to keep running, even completing The Big Half, but soon felt it was safer to step back. She deferred her London place once again—this time under the pregnancy deferral policy, aiming for a return in 2025.

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In mid-2023, Tash gave birth to her daughter, a moment that, in her words, “changed everything.” Sleepless nights and a difficult postpartum recovery meant returning to fitness would take time. Due to birth-related trauma, she wasn’t cleared for exercise until months later. But once given the all-clear, she took a thoughtful, structured approach, starting with the Couch to 5K program. By Christmas, she’d completed all nine weeks of the plan.

“Although I wasn’t as fast as before, I just wanted to have the headspace that running has always given me,” she shared.

In January 2024, she added strength training into the mix through Bay Fitness’s Women’s Weights sessions. Her goal: to return to London in 2025 as strong as possible—mentally and physically.

Tash chose to run this year’s marathon in support of Cancer Research Wales, a cause close to her heart. Over the years, she has fundraised for multiple cancer charities, motivated by friends and family members affected by the disease—most recently, her mother, who is battling cancer of the duodenum. Her mother underwent surgery just two days before Tash gave birth and is now undergoing radiotherapy following immunotherapy.

“Cancer Research Wales are doing incredible work, including recent breakthroughs like the Raman Blood Test in collaboration with Swansea University, it’s research like this that brings hope.” said Tash.

Although her training started strong, an injury in January sidelined her for four weeks, altering her race-day goals. Rather than aiming for a personal best, Tash focused on finishing strong—and enjoying the moment. On race day, she found herself next to another runner, Laura—aka “Wonder Woman”—and they decided to run the full 26.2 miles together.

“Laura was my rock throughout the race. I’m so grateful to her for sticking by my side.”

The iconic London crowd lifted her spirits throughout, and seeing her partner, daughter, friend, and running coach at multiple points on the course gave her the motivation to push through. By the finish line, she had raised just under £1,200 through her JustGiving page: donate here.

Looking back on her journey, Tash hopes to inspire others—especially her daughter.

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“I want to show my daughter that I can do hard things. I want her to know she can achieve whatever she wants. The journey isn’t always easy, but the resilience you build makes you stronger.”

She has one message for anyone struggling through their own training:

“Don’t give up. Show up, do your best, and remember—no matter how tough it gets, you can do it.”

If you would like to donate to Tash's fundraising page just head to: JustGiving and remember if you would like to take on your own challenge why not run for Cancer Research Wales at Swansea Half Marathon this June? For more information on securing a place with Cancer Research Wales CLICK HERE.