I started running indoors in late 2007, and after reaching 5km indoors in March 2008, started outdoor running, and immediately entered the first Royal Parks Half Marathon, run in October 2008. I did two more half-marathons in Reading in 2009 and 2010, after which my running rather lost objective and focus.
In 2014, I discovered parkrun, which gave a fresh objective, and I rediscovered my enthusiasm for running. Successful weight loss in 2016, together with several running friends (mostly online so far) and a growing love of parkrun tourism further increased my love of running.
A chance visit to the London Marathon in April 2017 (in the interval of Harry Potter and Cursed Child) generated a lot of emotion, and I found myself, having vowed not even to do another half-marathon because of the strain the training had put me under, seeking a place for the 2018 London Marathon.
To my delight and surprise, I quickly gained a place running in aid of Guide Dogs. With almost 12 months to go, my enthusiasm for longer distance running started to bubble over, and I thought it might be a good time to experiment with a blog, mixing run reports, thoughts and plans. I don’t expect a wide audience, but it may be interesting to experiment with the format.
In 2018 and 2019 I continued to increase the amount of running, each year containing a marathon, and each containing a lot of parkruns (48 in 2019). 2018 was also the year Lucy took up running, now joining me as a parkrun tourist, and in 2019 our new American cocker spaniel, Brindley, also took up running with the enthusiasm that he throws into everything he does.
2020 was to be the year of the Boston Marathon, and parkrun in Australia, among other running exploits. Covid got heavily in the way such that the 2020 Boston Marathon took place in 2021 like the Olympics, and we never went to Australia. After Boston I also ran Milton Keynes marathon in 2021, after which there was a lot of focus on parkrun when it returned after the Great Pause, eventually reaching 250 parkruns at over 175 different locations in April 2023.
I lost a lot of weight in 2022 and 2023 leading to faster times and after Milton Keynes Marathon 2023, I tried to do more running without focus on time and more on exploring the landscape – exemplified by a run from Whitby to Robin Hood’s Bay along an old railway line and back along coastal cliffs, stopping multiple times including for a pizza half-way.
In 2024 I supported Lucy in training for her London Marathon, which brought me to a 20-miler in Milton Keynes followed a few weeks later by another MK Marathon where I finally got under 4 hours. I sliced bits off my half-marathon PB at Larnaca in November 2024, Chelmsford in March 2025, and Peterborough in October 2025, all the while continuing to add to my parkrun tally of runs, locations, volunteering, and countries. By October 2025 I was the lightest weight I’d been in 28 years (and thus the lightest ever as a runner) which I hope will support decent paces, and also keep the impacts on my body manageable for many more years to come.
As I update this in February 2026, I have another stab at the Chelmsford Half coming up, after which my focus shifts to something very different – the Jungfrau Marathon in September. Training for that is going to be more varied. Meanwhile I’ve visited 247 different parkrun locations, so the 250 milestone is not far off.
Eventually I’m going to have to acknowledge that as I age, my ability to take satisfaction from targeting a new personal best is going to end – I reckon there is still scope at 5k, 10k and 21.1k, but sub-22 for 5k/parkrun may tick that desire off the list, and Chelmsford might be my final Half PB – we will see. Jungfrau is an amazing objective in itself, but it’s partly about growing and adapting and finding new ways to enjoy this love of running, while still finding things that motivate me.
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