From Source to Sea: My Journey Along the Thames

Words by Jack Lawrence, Founder of Yondera

It’s early on a Sunday morning; the larks and I are sharing the sacred moments before the world turns on. I’ve been up for an hour, stretching, fuelling, and packing my running bag for the day’s task: 15 miles between Clifton Hampden and Oxford proper. Autumn has soaked the path in rain, and as I step out of my flat and walk through the grey towards my car, I can already imagine the Thames Path waterlogged beneath my shoes.

That was my weekly ritual for twelve months, running the River Thames from source to sea. It wasn’t always wet, of course. Some days were gloriously sunny, others bitingly windy. Most were somewhere in between, forgettable in terms of weather or scenery. But that was never the point. The beauty was in the momentum, in the rhythm of the miles, and in the constant mission: to keep moving forward.

Early in 2024, I needed a new challenge. I’d already run the width of the country via Hadrian’s Wall with my good friend, Dave Chandler, and I was itching for another test of endurance, this time alone. Living in Walton-on-Thames, right on top of England’s longest and most famous river, the idea came naturally. I could literally leave my front door and start running. No logistics, no big fuss , at least to begin with.

So one cold February morning, I set off. At first, it was ten miles at a time, then thirteen, then fifteen-plus. Soon, the logistics caught up with me. I had to drive further to get back to my endpoints, and pre-planning became non-negotiable. But the ritual was set. Week after week, the Thames pulled me back.

Friends and family sometimes thought I’d lost the plot. Why pour so much time into something that had turned into a labour of love? But there was something magical about it. Every weekend, I’d discover a stretch of countryside I’d never seen before, always with the same river running beside me. The methodical nature of running has always delighted me, as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you’ll get there. Just keep moving.

I saw a lot across those twelve months, and I learned even more about myself. But most importantly, those hours out on the path became the birthplace of Yondera. Running is a creative space for me. For two or three hours every week, I’d drift into thoughts about life, purpose, and what could come next. Somewhere between the mud and the miles, I built the blueprint for Yondera. (OK, not every week, some weekends I was hungover.)

I knew I wanted Yondera to be rooted in the outdoors and in movement. But it’s bigger than that. It’s about showing what we can achieve when we have a shared goal or purpose. Over the next few years, I want to build experiences and a community that give people the tools and connections to feel alive, to create meaning in their own lives. And just like the Thames Path, it won’t always be easy. We won’t always agree. But if we keep moving in the same direction, towards a common goal, we’ll get there.

Like the river itself, we’ll wind, twist, and sometimes flood, but if we keep flowing together, we’ll reach the sea. 

I can’t wait to share with you all some of my thoughts about the future of Yondera, so stay tuned for more info about our launch party, which is coming soon.

Photography by Jack Lawrence