Women’s rugby community unites for the AJ Bell Great Bristol Run

Beccie Kettleborough is passionate about rugby and loves the camaraderie she gets from the sport. This team spirit will carry her through the streets of Bristol when she joins fellow members of the local women’s rugby community to take part in the AJ Bell Great Bristol Run to raise funds for a cause close to their hearts.

A Fitness Manager for Nuffield from Weston-super-Mare, Beccie manages the Dings Crusaders Mavericks (DC Mavericks), the Women’s First XV team at the Dings Crusaders rugby club based in Frenchay, Bristol. She’ll be running the 10k event at the Great Bristol Run for Maddy’s Mark, a charity dedicated to giving girls and young women the chance to access rugby and all the physical and mental benefits the sport can offer.

Maddy’s Mark was founded in memory of Maddy Lawrence, who passed away in March 2022 at the age of 20, following a rugby injury while playing for her team at the University of the West of England (UWE). Maddy sadly succumbed to sepsis while being treated for her injury in hospital and Maddy’s Mark was set up by her family to support the causes she was deeply passionate about: mental health for girls and young women – and rugby.

The women’s rugby community in Bristol is highly active in raising funds for Maddy’s Mark.

“We’re a close-knit community and this is a cause that’s so important to us. I didn’t know Maddy personally, but many of my teammates did and it’s our main charity as a team,” Beccie explains. “Many players from the DC Mavericks have supported Maddy’s Mark in different ways.”

Each year, the charity arranges ‘Maddy’s March’, which is a month-long campaign of activities described by her family as ‘very Maddy’ – from running to partying. The charity also hosts an annual rugby match, Maddy’s Match, where her former UWE teammates play the current UWE team in her memory. Last year, DC Mavericks Head Coach and former Bristol Bears player, Tom Lindsay, volunteered to coach the current UWE team.

Beccie and the DC Mavericks team wanted to make an even bigger impact this year.

“Now I want to really challenge myself to do something to raise more money and awareness for Maddy’s Mark. I’m only used to running when I have a ball in my hand, so typically the furthest I’ll run is 100m on the pitch! Running 10k will be tough, but it will be a great achievement.”

An inclusive event

The AJ Bell Great Bristol Run includes a 10k event and a half-marathon, both of which take place on Sunday 11 May 2025. The inclusive atmosphere resonates with the team coming together to take part for Maddy’s Mark. So far, this includes 16 runners, with some taking part in the 10k and others entering the half-marathon

Among the runners are Beccie’s DC Mavericks teammates Alex Hearn, Erin Towne, Finlay O’Regan and Kayleigh Wright, who took part in the Great Bristol Run for Maddy’s Mark in 2024 and who have entered this year’s half-marathon.

“What’s great is that there are two distances to choose from so everyone’s able to do something,” says Beccie.

“Alex, Erin, Finlay and Kayleigh are regular runners so they’re happy to do the half-marathon, but for me 10k is a good challenge. Those of us doing the 10k will wait for the half-marathon runners to come through and we’ll all celebrate together.”

For Beccie, this team effort encapsulates what she loves about rugby and what Maddy’s Mark stands for.

“With rugby, there are so many different positions you can play and there’s a part for everyone. We come from all different walks of life and having a sport where everyone can fit in is important to me. You’ve always got your rugby family, where you can find someone to hang out with. I’ve tried lots of things and rugby is what I always come back to. Maddy’s Mark helps to get more girls into rugby and all the benefits that brings.”

The sense of team camaraderie has extended to Beccie’s running efforts and she does her best to fit in runs around rugby training.

“We have a group chat so that we can try to fit in training where we can. We have a group on Strava so we can see what everyone’s doing and, when our season finishes on 6 April, we’ll be changing one of our training nights to a running club so that will really help before the Great Bristol Run!”

Half Marathon entries are now SOLD OUT, but don’t worry, you can still get involved in this year’s AJ Bell Great Bristol Run. Find out more here.