April 20th 2026 Boston Marathon

42km Run – Temperature 5oC

Finish Time: 04:05:12
10k split:  00:53:25
Half marathon: 01:53:55
30k split:  02:45:39
MV60 Age Group: 1105th
Overall  22221st

Boston was never about the time, in the end. It ended up being about whether I could even get to the start line — and once there, whether I could get to the finish. 7 hour cut off, 10 minutes per kilometre, not a calculation I though I would need to ponder.

After Chicago, I took a month off before starting back with a clear goal: raise the bar again and take a proper shot at sub-3 in Boston. It felt like the logical next step. The training progression through 2025 had been solid, Chicago had delivered, and Boston looked like the platform to push things again. I pulled together a plan of real speed work combined with appropriate volume and hills for a good shot.

I made a start in November and that lasted about three runs. A sharp pain appeared in my left knee. I took a couple of days off, came back, same thing. Rested longer, tried again — no better. Every attempt to build any rhythm was cut short. It wasn’t something you could run through, it brought me to a grinding holt, there was no running through this one.

That pattern carried on through November, December and into January. No consistent training, just fragments. I switched to the bike to keep some fitness ticking over, but every time I tried to reintroduce running, the same stabbing pain came straight back. By the end of January, it was clear it wasn’t resolving itself, so I booked an MRI. The result was a meniscus tear. With travel plans already in place, the earliest I could get surgery was 24th February, only eight weeks out from Boston. At that point the decision was simple: fix it and see what was possible, or don’t start at all. The prospect grabbing the final sixth star of the Abbotts world majors that I had worked on during 2025 was starting to slip from my grasp.

After the operation we went skiing. Three weeks of rest, then a cautious return. By then the goal had already shifted — sub-3 was gone. This was now about getting to the start line and, if things held together, getting round in under four hours. For a short period, it looked like it might come together. Easy runs building up to a couple of hours, walking hills, alternating days with time on the bike. Nothing ambitious, just controlled progress. Then the knee went again.

Four weeks out, I couldn’t walk more than 100 metres without pain. At that point Boston looked unlikely. I shut everything down completely. I had a review appointment with my consultant and he quickly offered a steroid injection to reduce the swelling and ease the pain but even then, there were no guarantees. I had 7 days which was the minimum recommended time for it to start to have a positive impact.

The day before flying, I took stock. The knee wasn’t hurting but that was because I hadn’t been loading it. I had no idea if the injection had worked or whether it would hold up over 42km. First test was walking around the airport as that was a long way for me! All good, pain free travelling so that was first base. Two days before we had to walk 2km back to the hotel and, no pain. Maybe I would be able to walk it after all within the 7 hour cut off. and not be in too much pain.

Right up until I stood on the start line in Hopkinton, I didn’t know if I’d even be able to finish. The plan had been to start walking and assess the knee, but the first 5km is downhill and, unexpectedly, it was less painful to jog than walk. So I ran, cautiously, but I ran.

After that I settled into a simple rhythm of run 1km, walk for a minute, waiting for the knee to buckle. It wasn’t elegant, but it was manageable. The early miles were about feedback rather than performance. Every step was a check on the knee. It held, and gradually confidence built. Not in the sense of racing, but in the sense that finishing might actually be possible.

By halfway, everything else was starting to feel it — legs, hips, general fatigue from months of inconsistent training — but the knee was holding. Not good, but stable. That was enough. I took some more ibuprofen, reset mentally, and carried on. Fromthere, the race started to take on a different shape.

Boston doesn’t allow you to settle. The Newton Hills arrive just as fatigue sets in, and they expose whatever is missing. Under normal circumstances you arrive there prepared. This time, I wasn’t. By the time I reached Heartbreak Hill, I was walking every climb and jogging the rest. But mentally, something had shifted — I knew I was going to finish. The uncertainty that had been there at the start had gone.

From that point, it became a steady grind into Boston. One kilometre at a time. No targets, no pace goals, just forward motion. Managing the knee, managing the fatigue, staying inside what was possible. The final miles into the city felt long. Not because of the course itself, but because of everything that had gone into just getting there.

Crossing the line in 4:05:12 wasn’t what I had originally trained for, in fact I would have framed it as a big disappointment given the last three months, it was exactly what the day required. 

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Six Stars

That finish line wasn’t just the end of a race — it closed the loop.

• London 2016 – 2:58:30
• New York 2017 – 3:12:47
• Tokyo 2025 – 3:17:49
• Berlin 2025 – 3:21:12
• Chicago 2025 – 3:09:46
• Boston 2026 – 4:05:12

Six stars. Not a perfect progression, but a real one. Different courses, different conditions, and a long period in the middle where everything had to be rebuilt. Boston is the only one you can’t just sign up for — you have to earn your place. Finishing it under these circumstances makes it mean more than any time on the clock.

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What Next

I had originally planned to follow it with the World Championship marathon in Cape Town in May and Comrades in June — both races I had worked hard to qualify for. But after Boston, it was clear that simply getting through the race had taken enough out of me. Turning up in South Africa just to make up the numbers wasn’t an option. The smarter decision was to step back, cancel both, and focus on recovering properly. That wasn’t an easy call, but it was the right one. I need to rehab now and get the knee in good shape to get training with purpose again.

Looking ahead, 2026 I still have Sydney, and with its addition to the Majors series there is now a seventh star to chase.

October 12th 2025 Chicago Marathon

 42km Run – Temperature 25°C

Finish Time: 03:09:46
10k split: 00:44:28
Half marathon: 01:34:03
30k split: 02:14:03
MV60 Age Group: 28th
Overall: 6053rd

Chicago wasn’t supposed to be the A-race. The whole season was built around Berlin: Tokyo to rebuild, Riga to confirm, Berlin to peak and finally go under 3:10 for qualification into the 2026 Age Group World Championships. Chicago was meant to be a 3:20 jog to close the season without going too deep.

But Berlin didn’t deliver what the training promised, and that turned Chicago into something else entirely. It became the last chance to execute the plan.

After Berlin I took the first week easy to absorb the race and let the legs settle, but in the second week — where I’d planned to get some volume and tempo back into the body — I pulled a hamstring. That wrote the whole week off. No speed work, no confidence-building long tempos, just rehab and hoping it didn’t get worse. In an ideal world I’d have run two or three 10-mile tempo sessions to flush Berlin out of the legs and sharpen up for another go at sub-3:10. Instead it became about one thing only: getting to the start line able to run 26.2 miles without something tearing.

The forecast had offered some hope. It was meant to be a cool 15°C — a relief after Berlin — but by the time we started it was already 18°C, and it climbed to 25°C by the finish. It was hot, but only in the closing stages, unlike Berlin where the heat was there from the gun. Not ideal, but manageable.

Lining up just three weeks after Berlin, I knew I hadn’t had time to rebuild, only to recover. My body was carrying fatigue, my mind was still processing Berlin, and early on I wasn’t sure I wanted the fight. In the first half I kept finding reasons not to stay on pace — the head wasn’t fully in it.

The pacer setup helped. In Berlin there was only 3:00 or 3:15, which meant constantly doing pacing arithmetic while running. In Riga I’d tucked into the 3:15 group, and it made the execution simple. Chicago was better organised: 3:00, 3:05 and 3:10 groups. I put myself about a minute behind the 3:10 pacers so I’d have something in hand when it mattered.

The nutrition plan was supposed to mirror Riga — one gel every 30 minutes — but I lost a gel out of my pocket right at the start. That immediately kicked off the kind of pointless head-noise you don’t need in the first mile of a marathon. I switched from just taking water to using the on-course Gatorade at every aid station to make up the calories. By 25km I was starting to feel flat, and that was the warning shot. Note to self: in future, I need a caffeine hit at halfway, not after the wheels start to wobble.

By 25km I still felt in control, but it was obvious I was approaching the decision point. It was either jog it in at 3:20 and close the season frustrated, or lean in, take the risk and hurt for it. I chose to push.

At 35km I was deep into the work — one kilometre at a time. I was hanging onto the group more through willpower than ease, and the minute I’d banked at the start was being eaten away with every km.

At 40km the pacers started to edge ahead. The cushion was nearly gone. Then came the sting: a hill at 800m to go, cruel timing. By the time I turned into the final straight I knew it was on the edge. No calculation left — just instinct. I broke into a full sprint, everything screaming. I crossed in 3:09:46 — 14 seconds inside target. Nothing left.

It wasn’t clean or elegant, but it was what I’d trained for all year: sub-3:10, a qualifying time for the 2026 world champs, and confirmation that Berlin was the exception, not the rule.

The upside of ending the season properly is that I can look forward now rather than back. Boston is qualified for and already booked for 2026, and I should get a good-for-age place for Sydney. I’m also hoping to get into Comrades in June. As always, once the pain fades and the result sinks in, the mind goes hunting for the next challenge. If the body holds up, ultras will be part of that. The other question sitting there is sub-3:00. It’s a big stretch, and I don’t know if it’s realistic or delusional yet. The winter block will tell me if the speed is still there, or if I’m already close to the limit.

Sometimes it’s not about perfect execution — it’s about hanging on long enough to make the work count.

September 21st 2025 Berlin Marathon

42km Run - Temperature 27oC 

Finish Time: 03:21:12   10k split: 00:44:15   Half marathon: 01:33:56   30k split: 02:15:15

MV60 Age Group 40th  Overall 5647th

Berlin was never meant to be just another marathon — it was the payoff after Tokyo and Riga, the day to take a real swing at sub-3:10 and lock in my Abbott Majors star.

Training between Riga and Berlin went exactly to plan. Long runs and tempo sessions all hit the target splits. The taper went smoothly; legs felt fresh, fitness was peaking. Everything pointed to a breakthrough. We arrived in Berlin on the Wednesday before the race and kept things deliberately low-key. All the work was done.

Then came the curveball. With a trip to India planned for October I had immunisation jabs the week before Berlin, not thinking much of it. But on the Thursday and Friday before the race I felt terrible — feverish, deeply fatigued, flat. This wasn’t over-tapering; it was clearly a reaction to the jabs. I went to bed on Saturday night genuinely unsure if I’d be able to race, and if I did, whether it would be at any meaningful level.

Race morning dawned hot — 78°F (27°C), as summer made an unexpected return to the German capital. The seasonal average is about 61°F (16°C). Not the conditions you dream of for Berlin, but you race the day you get. I woke feeling better than the previous two days. Not perfect, but functional. After the months of training, I decided to toe the line and see what the day gave me.

We stayed in an Airbnb about twenty minutes’ walk from the start area — close enough to keep race morning simple. Berlin already had a buzz mid-week, and by Sunday morning the Tiergarten area was alive with tens of thousands of runners. Unlike Riga’s empty, rainy start, Berlin’s felt like a huge festival — efficient, organised and buzzing with anticipation.

This year I was joined by my daughters' partners, Henry and Rory, who I’d persuaded to run Berlin with me. It was great to have their company on the long walk to the start area — a shared sense of excitement and nerves. With over 55,000 runners, the numbers swelled as we approached the start pens, but German efficiency meant we arrived at our pen without drama. I’d even packed a tracksuit to stay warm while waiting, but given the unseasonably high temperatures it stayed in my bag.

Berlin’s course was alive — wide boulevards lined with supporters, bands every kilometre or two, and a wall of noise at the big junctions. It felt bigger and louder than Tokyo or Riga, a proper World Major atmosphere.

My nutrition plan was simple but vital in the heat — a super-carb gel every 30 minutes and salt every hour to fight off cramp. Water at every aid station kept me topped up, and sticking to that plan gave me a fighting chance to hold my pace as long as possible.

The first 10k in 44:15 felt surprisingly smooth given the week I’d had. The wide boulevards and constant support made it easy to find a rhythm. By halfway I was at 1:33:56 — still on pace for a sub-3:10 if things held together.

But by the halfway mark I could feel I was working harder than I should to hit the splits. The heat and the residual fatigue from the immunisations were starting to take their toll. By 30km I was working far too hard to sustain it. At that point, the decision was clear: I still needed to finish to get the Abbott Majors star, but I also had Chicago coming up. Rather than destroy myself chasing a fading 3:10, I backed off, focused on preserving what was left, and aimed to cross the line in one piece — banking the race experience and saving something for another crack at sub-3:10 in better conditions.

The Brandenburg Gate was still a long way off. I kept moving, locked into form and discipline, but the splits inevitably slipped. Crossing the line in 3:21:12 wasn’t what I’d imagined for Berlin, but it was a hard-earned finish on a day when my body was clearly not at 100%.

And then, after months of training and a brutal race, reality intruded: we were on a tight timetable to catch a 17:30 flight. Straight from the finish line to the train, medal still around my neck, and off to the airport. By 22:00 I was in my own bed at home — an amazing, surreal end to a long and testing day.

For Henry and Rory — their first taste of a big running race, never mind a world major — Berlin was an eye-opener. They were blown away by the scale, the atmosphere, and the energy of the crowds. Before we’d even left the airport, they were talking about signing up for the next one. Seeing their enthusiasm reminded me why I started running all those years ago — the sense of discovery, the challenge, and the joy of sharing it with others.

Marathons are not just about training plans — they’re about execution on the day you’re given. Next stop: Chicago Marathon — cooler weather, another flat course, and one more chance this year to run the race my training says I can.

May 18th 2025 Riga, Latvia Marathon

42km Run - Temperature 10oC 

Finish Time: 03:13:05   10k split: 00:44:41   Half marathon: 01:34:53   30k split: 02:16:01

MV60 Age Group 2nd  Overall 306th

Riga was never about chasing a PB — it was about closing the gap. After Tokyo, I’d set myself a clear progression: take five minutes off in Riga, then another five in Berlin this September to get under 3:10. This race was a stepping stone, and I’m pleased to say I’m right on track.

Riga came onto the radar thanks to a recommendation from a friend I met during the 777 challenge back in November. A few others from that event were heading there too, and it sounded like a fast course, well-timed for where I was in my training block.Training had gone well. I added more speed work while keeping the volume steady and, crucially, stayed injury-free. A sub-90 half marathon in early April gave me real confidence — it proved the pace was in the legs. My plan was to hold around 4:30/km to halfway and reassess from there. We all start with a plan until we get to 30km !

We arrived in Riga and stayed in the old town — compact and easy to navigate. Unfortunately, it rained most of the time, so there wasn’t much sightseeing. Still, the logistics were smooth and the race organisation was spot on. We met up with the 777 gang and swapped running stories and memories of our event last year, great to catch up in a less frantic setting.

Race morning was a little unusual. We arrived at the start area around 06:15 for a 07:05 gun — and it was completely deserted. Most major marathons are buzzing by then. So, we grabbed a coffee and came back at 06:45, just as the buzz finally started building although everybody was trying to stay out the rain until gun time.

The race itself started in the rain. It was cold and windy, especially on the bridges, but the flat course made up for it. In the first mile we hit a huge puddle and there was no way around it so we plashed through and all had soaked feet – not a fan of running with water sloshing in my shoes. I had been a way back on the start line so spent the first 5km catching up with the 03:15 pacer group, unfortunately there was no 03:10 pacer but by the time I caught up I was about a minute and half ahead of them on the gun time. 

When the headwinds kicked in, I tucked into the 3:15 pacer group to conserve energy — it wasn’t worth battling alone. I knew I could sit in with this group and make my target time but they were ahead of pace themselves so we hit the halfway mark in 1:34. By 30K though, I was starting to feel it. The group had slowed to the right pace and I’d fallen behind my original pace, and sub-3:10 was slipping away. But I stuck with the group and focused on staying on their heels.

With 2K to go, I found a final gear and pushed ahead for a clear run into the finish. Nutrition was bang on: 40mg gels every 30 minutes, 1g salt each hour, water only at the aid stations. That made a big difference in the final stretch.

Crossed the line in 03:13:05, 2nd in my age group. Chuffed.

Riga had a small city feel, and despite the weather, they had bands playing out on the course. Support was sparse early on but picked up once the rain eased. It may not have had the electric energy of Tokyo, but it was a solid, enjoyable event — and a valuable checkpoint in the journey toward Berlin.

Next stop: Berlin Marathon on 21st September. Sub-3:10 in sight.

March 2nd 2025 Tokyo Marathon

 42km Run - Temperature 15oC 

Finish Time: 03:17:49   10k split: 00:48:15   Half marathon: 01:39:17   30k split: 02:20:29

MV60 Age Group 67th  Overall 4113rd

 

2024 was all about recovery from my brain injury and getting my health back. That culminated in the 777 event and the resulting confidence that whilst I wasn’t back to my old self, I could still push the boundaries of my physical possibilities and come back stronger. Reflecting now, there is no doubt my physical capacity is somewhat diminished, and I will not make a full recovery but the place I am in now allows me to still enjoy exploring what I can physically achieve. Inevitably there is a transition from what I could do to what I might be able to do given my injury and my age. I am not certain which is the bigger limiting factor but for now I will ignore both in terms of goal setting. 

 

After 777 I waited a few weeks to recover then did a marathon in Peterborough just to see what my legs had in them in a normal state of fatigue. That was about 5 weeks post 777 and I cantered around in 03:26 and felt like a normal aerobic workout. This allowed me to think about some new goals for 2025 and beyond. I still was pretty unstable on the bike, and I never had a love for swimming so if my body would hold out, then I could return to my first love, running. Back in 1999 I discovered the joy of the simplicity of heading out the door and running and its therapeutic value. The challenge took over and so the opportunity of just running went on the back burner as I pursued my triathlon goals. 

 

I recognise that running punishes the body and so at any moment I am one step away from injury but whilst I can, I am all in. I love the element I travel that goes hand in hand with competing, so the Abbott series of races provided the perfect set up for travel to places we were keen to experience and a goal simple enough to be doable in my current short-term horizon. I had done London and New York more than once so just Tokyo, Berlin, Chicago and Boston to tick off. Given I had done 7 in 7 days this doesn’t feel like too much of a stretch. There might be Sydney and couple of others to pick up but that doesn’t feel too much of a chore.  So, the goals are to tick off Tokyo (tick) Berlin and Chicago this year and qualify for Boston in 2026. For male 60+ the entry criteria is sub 3:50 but slots are awarded on the basis of fastest first and so by my reckoning sub 3:20 should be good enough. There is just one other event for 2026 I am secretly (well not now I guess) aiming at and that’s the age group marathon world champs which has a qualification criterion of sub 03:10

 

I lined up for Tokyo with a goal of sub 03:20 as a nice progression on 03:26 and a building block for my season’s goal of sub 03:10 at Berlin or Chicago. We arrived a week before the race and really enjoyed seeing the city and settling into the time zone. By the time the race morning came around my Aura ring was giving me top marks for sleep and recovery, all set.

 

We arrived at the start in good time and went through the motions of Starbucks coffee, bag drop and then proceeded to the start pen, arriving there 40 minutes before go time. I went straight to the Portaloo line, which was over 100 deep, the only poor element of the event planning. By the time I was lining up to race in the sub 03:20 corral it was only 10 minutes to go time. The gun sounded, the fireworks lit up the sky then the crowd started to surge to the start line, breaking into a trot and then finally starting to run as we crossed the timing mats. It was chaotic as we weaved through the masses of runners who had seeded themselves much higher than their ability, very frustrating with an element of danger as tripping or being pushed were a real possibility.

 The first km was 04:16 so I eased up only to clock close to 04:00 for the second km. I resolved not to worry about pace at this point but to focus on finding some clear space so I could settle into a solid rhythm. The first 5km were nett downhill so the faster pace was to be expected although I was a little bit concerned as to how fast I was going. I decided to lean into the pace I was feeling relaxed at and just be sure not to feel at these early stages that I was working at the pace. I hit 10km at under 45 mins which gave me a good deal of time against my target pace of 47:30 at this point. It wasn’t plain sailing from a pace perspective as my watch told me 10.5km at the 10km course marker so I was aware that the gps in a city of skyscrapers was a bit off. Best case was my watch, and worst case was the course markers but for both I was inside my target pace.

 

By the time I reached halfway my watch told me a split of 01:33 and the 21km sign was 1:39 (gun time) and of course I didn’t know how long I had taken to cross the timing mat compared to gun time. There was voice that said maybe I would push to go under 03:10 now but even at halfway that felt a bit of a stretch. To be honest, there wasn’t a great deal to distract you from the job in hand, the route was lined with supporters but only one or two deep unlike London or New York. There were maybe two or three dance troupes and a couple of bands but that was about it, just a long road of skyscrapers and shops covered in indecipherable Japanese writing. On reflection, it was a big city marathon that lacked big city vistas to distract one from the job of putting one foot in front of the other.

 

Mary was at 30km so that kept me on it but as my legs started to tire, my original plan of pushing hard for the last 10km seemed less and less appealing. At 30km I wasn’t going under 03:10, not even 03:15 so the goal was under 03:20 and that just required a trudge to the finish line. When you know you just need to trudge, even a trudge becomes hard work. It’s hard to hurt yourself when the goal you are aiming for doesn’t require you to do so. The group of 03:20 pacers passed me at 39km but I was pretty sure they had crossed the starting mats on time, so I had a minute or two in hand. I did step up my pace for a few hundred metres to stay with them, but my sore legs got the better of my enthusiasm. I trudged across the finish line and settled for job done. Early in the race with my Garmin pace looking strong I had harboured the notion I could go much quicker but in reality I got the time I had trained for.

 

For now, I must be happy and patient, the training process had delivered the required result and now it is time to build to the next goal. Time to be patient and do the work. Onwards.

20th November 2024 Miami North America

 North America 7^th 04:01:00

 

We collected our luggage and caught a taxi to our hotel hoping to check in and get a rest before the final marathon. By the time we were in our hotel room it was 0500 and I thought I may as well stay up, sort out and get to the start line for 0700. No where for breakfast was open soi we ended up at Starbucks at 0600 for coffee and some ropey oatmeal. We headed off to the start but there was a last-minute change so it had moved from 39^th to 53^rd street, after a bit of Uber confusion we arrived at just after 0700 but everyone else was late as well so the start was put back to 0800. There was a pretty big crowd and a real buzz at the start line as 65% of the runners were from the USA, lots of family and friends had come down for the grand finale, marathon number 7. 

The course was a cycle path and 10 laps of 4.2km. The temperature to start with was 28oC but quickly climbed to 36oC as the sun came up but the humidity was low so overheating dangers were much less significant. Aid stations were at the turnaround point and back at the start but in the heat it was still going to be a challenge to keep cool and running. We all raced off as the starter's horn sounded, pumped up by all the supporters there cheering us on. I felt pretty good despite the lack of sleep, in fact after feeling so terrible in Istanbul, I had felt good ever since. I seemed to be running with some of the runners that had established themselves in the speedy bracket and to date, my best placing was 9th and I was certainly ahead of that. It felt like I could now just run on feel and not hold back quite as much, the worst that could happen now was I blew up and had to walk it in.This was the lap of honour to pick up 777 and the final piece of bling to complete the collection.

I stuck to the usual plan, get 3 laps under my belt of continuous running to get some time in my back pocket then start the run/walk to get the sub 4 in the bag. All started out well but there wasn't much shade on the course so as the sun got up I started to feel hot.

I quickly slowed up at the aid stations to take on fluids and make sure I used the ice to help cool down as best I could. The zip started to ebb away as the heat took its toll and I wasn't gaining time on my target. All the 777 runners were in great form, offering out words of encouragement as we passed each other on the out and back but we were all suffering. 

Mutual misery seems to be a bonding experience, we could empathise with each other and what we were having to endure to get this final marathon done. 

Most people had feet that were swollen and blistered with various amount of tape on the legs to hold things together but this was the home run albeit a combination of running, jogging, staggering, walking or even limping. We were all going to finish this one no matter what it took.

By lap 7 it became apparent to me that I would have to push hard to get under 4 and at that point it just didn't seem that important, maybe because I had missed that goal on two of the previous marathons. I eased back and just enjoyed the crowds as in a weird sort of way, the sooner I finished the sooner the experience was going to end, it was a confusing emotion. Get on and finish so you can get out the heat and rest but don't rush and bring it all to an end.

By the time the last lap came around I was starting to properly over heat but with just 4km left, I pushed on to get the job done. 

Crossing the line for a final time was of course emotional and meeting my comrades who had also finished was fantastic, brothers in arms. We had shared so much over the last 7 days, we knew what it had taken to get to that final finish line. Complete strangers had become great friends, whilst we ostensibly had little in common, coming from different communities in different countries, the sort of person that embarks on an adventure such as this are a very small group. We were alike in many ways and post 777 the WhatsApp group was on fire with 'what next' to out tough what we had just completed. Plans were already in motion to meet at this or that event, there was almost a contest as to who could run a marathon soonest after completing this challenge.

So that's a wrap, am I back 100% physically, well not really but am I back 100% mentally, yes. I can sort to plan more adventures for 2025, not cycling as my balance is not good enough but if I a stay injury free then there's lots of running to be done! Some of my new friends below, Ger, Dan and Anne!

19th November 2024 Cartagena Colombia

 South America 9^th 04:48:14

 

Thats our plane, home to us and in a previous life the Rolling Stones!

Planning for the event I had looked at what the temperatures were likely to be at each location. Two stood out, Antarctica -15oC and Cartagena +30oC and as it turned out, number 6 was 37oC and over 75% humidity. The consequence of the humidity is that sweat doesn’t evaporate off the skin to keep you cool, it just sits there and helps you boil. If your core temperature gets away from you there is no way to cool back down, your race is over.

We landed at 0700 and transferred to the race venue via a stop at the hotel to drop our bags. With all the faff, instead of starting in the early morning we actually never got going until 1000, just when the heat was rising. Then route was 10 laps of 4.2km and was kinda set up with some local guys acting as marshals and working the aid stations placed at both ends and one in the middle, effectively every 1km.

Thats a picture of Greg with one lung, Dan who at the age of 81 did 777 half marathons and Justin Spencer of Chaos and Kindness fame (?). 

It was a public cycle way by the seaport with a decent surface but only intermittent shade. I set off with the intention of keeping a lid on my body temperature, running easy, drinking at every aid station and putting ice under my cap and holding it in my hands. For every run I had been taking a gel every 30 minutes and importantly, a gram of salt every hour and here it was going to be critical in avoiding cramp. 

The first couple of laps ticked off nicely but we were approaching midday, and I could feel my body temperature rising but I stuck to the plan. I got to 24km and came to a standstill at an aid station as I was over heating, and it was getting away from me and close to the point of no return. I spent 5 or 6 minutes at the aid station drinking and trying to cool myself off with the ice.

I started to feel better so set off again as I was over half way, walking at first then back jogging but by the time I had completed another lap my head was spinning with the heat. There was nothing for it but to walk until I felt I had my body temperature properly under control and just take as long as it takes, after all, the goal was 777 and the time at the end of the day was nice but not critical.

It took me a full hour of walking to get in a better place and confident I could run the remainder of the number 6 from 34km to the end. I did heat up again but in less than an hour I was over the finish line and could just sit cool down properly. Out on the course there were people in all sorted of trouble, one or two just did the half and a couple had to be pulled of the course taken to hospital. I had been slow but I was still in the hunt for 777.  When I crossed the line I had to take a few minutes to collect myself, cool down and start rehydrating.

It was now mid-afternoon and we went back to the hotel. Some rooms had been rented for us to shower and get some rest ahead of travelling to Miami. I didn’t have the strength to go to a restaurant so ordered room service, ate on the room and napped until it was time to leave for the airport. We assembled at 1900 but didn’t leave until 2100, finally boarding the plane and taking off at midnight. It was a very short flight so instead of eating I went straight to sleep but not for long, we touched down in Miami at 0300.

18th November 2024 Istanbul Turkey - Europe

 Europe 10^th 03:55:05

We all felt much better when we rolled up to the start line for the European leg, if only because the last one had been so awful. The Istanbul marathon club house was the venue, hot showers, changing rooms, numbered table for personal nutrition and marshals out on the course. It was 6 laps of 7km, and the weather was dry and mid-teens – what not to like. All the courses had been more or less flat apart Antarctica which had a small hill into the cold wind which I guess made it feel worse than it really was.

I stuck to the plan and ran the first 2 laps continuously at 5min/km pace to give me the cushion to back off in the second half. The next two laps I ran 2km walked 1 min and the final two laps were run 1km walk 1 minute with a good margin of time in my pocket.

This allowed me to really hit the nutrition hard and make sure I finished fully fuelled up and to give the legs an easier ride, so they weren’t toast at the end. It was a plan to ensure I had the 4 hours in the bag and then start to put my body in a good position to tackle the next marathon. It was tempting to push the pace but after the prospect of 767 last night I just focussed on getting to the end in good shape.

By this time as a group, we were really starting to bond, nothing like shared misery to pull us closer together. The course was an out and back, so you saw everyone on every lap and all were giving thumbs up or a ‘well done’ or some other little acknowledgement of support. I crossed the finish line in good shape, popped medal number 5 around my neck then headed to get changed, have a shower and go to a nearby café to get some food. That’s now 555 and the body recovered and ready for the next one – how different things looked last night when I started number 4.

There was a lot of traffic to get back to the airport then the now predictable faff as someone forgot their passport or lost a bag etc etc. In fact one person hadn't made it to Australia as they hadn't bothered to get their visa ahead of time....they had a 667 for their trouble!

The trip through the airport back to the plane was less eventful but still a fair amount of faff before we were back sat in our seats and onwards to South America. Given the lack of sleep over the last two days I opted to go straight to sleep on the plane for the 12-hour flight rather than eat first. Sleep and body fatigue was always going to be my undoing, not the running, so I always prioritised rest over food. Marathon 4 had shown that running at an easy pace without any food was doable and very much the way I had been training, fasted first thing in the morning.

17th November 2024 Istanbul Turkey - Asia

 Asia 15^th 04:12:09

 

The flight was meant to be a big opportunity to recover ahead of two tough marathons on Istanbul, taking a total of 18 hours including a fuel stop in Dubai. No sooner had we boarded the plane, the stomach cramps started. Maybe I had just eaten too much as I had planned to skip the meal at the start of the flight and just go straight to sleep. I was trying to prioritise sleep whenever I could as I knew this would be my undoing given that my recover from my brain injury was still about 85%. I had a scan a week before we flew to Cape Town and whilst the brain scan was all clear, the consultant said the body fatigue may never get back to its previous levels. 

Getting back on the plane was like coming home, we had the same seats, could leave things on there and we could just settle down straight away with the same crew on board.

My stomach never settled then nausea set in, a feeling that I was imminently going to throw up but not quite. The upshot was that I drank nothing, ate nothing and got virtually no sleep at all. As I lay there, I felt there was no way I could start never mind finish a marathon, just getting of the plane without being ill was going to be a struggle. I wondered to myself if it was almost the same thing if I did 6 marathons etc but clearly it wouldn’t be.  I sipped on electrolytes in an effort to stem the dehydration and we made our way through the airport. Baggage took almost two hours to collect and then we stood around waiting for the bus to transport us to the next marathon. Whilst standing there I managed to nibble away and eat a very plain sandwich, and it stayed down…. small victories.

By the time we got to quay side the 1900 start time was starting to slip. It was raining, cold and the course hadn’t been set up. The were three tents for us to huddle in and our luggage was piled up on the pavement in the rain. At 20:00 I knew it wasn’t good when I saw the organisers disappear up the quay side with a measuring wheel, clearly to sort a course out for us. We were on the riverbank of the Bosphorus, standing on the quay side with loads of local fishermen casting backwards and forwards with hooks at eye level.

In the end they managed to pull together a course of sorts, 1.055km out and back, so that’s 20 laps (although they said 21 initially) and the far end of the course was dark, so we needed to run with head torches, the pavement was broken concrete in places, little ramps and drop offs. We were cold and wet by this time, so we were just pleased to have a course and be able to get running. On the plus side as we been hanging around so long my stomach had settled; I still hadn’t eaten much but at least I could a reasonable chance of completing number 4.

We finally started at 22:00, heading off into the dark, trying to avoid the fishermen’s hooks as we ran by. On the first couple of laps, I made a mental note of the potholes and other hazards so that I could run with my head up a bit more although given it was very dark there was precious little to look at, even the few marshals that were there soon disappeared as midnight passed. I kept a steady pace and tried to drink when I could but no chance of holding down any gels, this was survival mode to stay in the 777 race, 767 doesn’t have the same ring about it. 

These were hard laps, and it was clear everyone was suffering from the conditions, and as I discovered later, the stomach bug was slowly making its way through the group. There was nothing about this that was good,

I just had to grind it out and get the job done and hopefully be better for the next one. I had no prospect of staying under 4 hours for this one, I was completely depleted so I just kept moving to get to the end. It was literally cross the line, get on the bus and then wait to be driven to the hotel.

Despite getting on the bus at 02:00 we didn’t actually leave until 03:00 and got to the hotel at 04:00. I had been dreading getting up for the planned 09:00 start as it meant such a short sleep and I had missed the sleep on the plane but they recognised what a bad place everyone was in so pushed the start time of number 5 back to midday. It felt like luxury, in a bed and 4 hours sleep followed by breakfast and ready to roll at 11:00