The Runna Podcast "How Running Changed My Life": Jesseca Furness on 42 Marathons & Running For Your Mental Health
Oct 10, 2025
Jess Furness, a distinguished runner and presenter from The Running Channel, boasts extraordinary feats like winning a 250 km ultramarathon and breaking the sub-3 barrier in Berlin. She shares her emotional journey of running 42 marathons in 2025 to honor her late brother. Jess discusses how running transformed from a coping mechanism to therapy, highlights the importance of community in mental health, and reveals powerful insights gained through her grieving process. Her story inspires others to embrace running as a source of strength and resilience.
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Running Started As Solace On The Farm
- Jess began running as a way to clear her head after her dad died and started with walks around the farm that progressed into running.
- She later used running and a university club to build social connections and training structure.
Makeshift Gym And Early Control Issues
- Jess received secondhand gym equipment at 16 and trained in a makeshift 'Jesse's gym' above the cows on her family farm.
- Early training mixed body image goals and control over food before evolving into a healthier mental focus.
One-Minute Sign-Up Sparked A New Path
- At university Jess joined mixed lacrosse and impulsively signed up for a half marathon one minute before the deadline.
- Training with that group turned running into social time and changed her relationship with the sport.