Ashley Runs Half Marathon After Heart Failure

Having initially started running in lockdown, Ashley then found out that he had Fatal Atrial Fibrillation, which caused his heart to go into failure. In the following years, he had to have his heart restarted twice. 

Despite this, he still tried several times to get back into running between 2021 and 2024, but found himself frustrated at the slow progress. 

However, in May of 2024, Ashley began running to his heart rate, listening to his body to know when to stop and start. 

“When I started running in May ‘24, I could only run 3km in 30 minutes due to needing so many walk breaks. I can now run a conversational 5km in 35 minutes with no walking before I even reach 140bpm” 

Ashley credits much of his progress the Harmonious Society: founded by ex-Ipswich Town players Luke Chambers and Emyr Huws, they hold many events for people from many different walks of life. 

“I’ve found a special group of people, all with their own amazing stories, and together we have just inspired each other to keep going” 

You can keep up with Ashley’s progress through his social media: 

Instagram - @Heart_rate_runner 

Strava – Ashley Harris