A woman from Greater Manchester has finished running 100 marathons in 100 days across South Asia to honor her father’s memory. Hannah Cox from Tameside is 41 years old and decided to explore India after her dad died. She traveled a 4200km route called the Inland Customs Line that her father’s home country is known for.
She first planned to drive the route but started running in May 2025 and changed her mind. She chose to run a marathon every day for 100 days straight instead. Hannah finished on Monday & said she felt great. She told BBC Radio Manchester that she had never been a runner before and most people who know her cannot believe she actually did it. Hannah completed her journey in Bangladesh after following the historic Inland Customs Line that the British East India Company once used.
She described running through India as an overwhelming experience for all the senses. She had to stay alert every single day because the scenery changed constantly and the traffic was unpredictable. She tried to stick to her route while dealing with how different her body felt each day. Hannah admitted the physical challenge was painful. She ran the entire expedition while managing scoliosis & an autoimmune disease. She even completed a full week of marathons while sick with acute gastroenteritis.
She said the last three days were extremely painful but she still felt good because of the adrenaline. Her left leg was badly injured so she planned to visit the hospital the next day. She was just happy not to be running that day. Her father Deric Cox was born in Calcutta which is now called Kolkata. He moved to the UK in 1953 and died in 2011. Hannah wanted to discover and share parts of her own heritage as someone with Anglo-Indian ancestors. Some of her family members worked for the British East India Company. She said she wanted to connect with a country where her family history goes back to 1799.
She learned about the Inland Customs Line which was a major customs route during the British Empire. She noticed there was very little information about it online and nobody had ever traveled its full length. Hannah first researched the historic route in 2014. Twelve years later she believes she is the first person to complete it. She said achieving a world first while raising significant money for charity felt amazing. Project Salt Run has raised more than £75000 for environmental charities so far.
