Stratford’s plus-sized runner launches website to help other larger women to get fit

A woman who ran the 2012 London Marathon in less than six hours despite being overweight and told by doctors that she was “too fat to run”, has launched a new website to inspire other plus-sized women.

Julie Creffield, a 36-year-old entrepreneur and mother from Stratford, began writing a blog to chart her experiences as a plus sized runner who regularly received comments from passers-by. It documented her athletic progress in the lead up to the 2012 marathon and beyond, gathering a readership of around 200k from around the world.

Now she has transferred her expertise to her new website, at toofattorun.co.uk, which will act not only as a shop front for merchandise but will also present resources for overweight women about how to take up running safely and how to stand up against the negativity that plus-size women get in society.

Some of the resources will include a free downloadable monthly training plan.

Julie said: “Two thirds of the UK population are overweight or obese and the media takes great pleasure in scare-mongering us into doing something about it with magazines promoting the next big faddy diet and government agencies telling everyone to ditch the car and cycle to work.

“What we need are practical solutions where women feel empowered to be more active and where exercise is seen as something enjoyable and fun rather than a chore and something we must do”.

With the intention of inspiring other plus-size who are interested in running, Julie launched In June this year a clothing range with the Too Fat to Run slogan in response to the fact that most major sportswear brands only go up to a 16 or 18.

The plan is to raise enough cash to go into production of stylish, sexy technical apparel for plus-sized runners.

Julie has written three books that are selling well on Amazon: Getting Past the First 30 Seconds, From Slouch to 10K and How to Run with a Baby.