And now, marathon number 18, today 19 April 2026, age 60, which I used my bus pass and old person’s railcard to get to, at Manchester. Bit warm, feeling a bit sick, but got 3:26:16, and my best ever age grade 71.76% I might just have squeaked into London 2027. Just. Happy. #18marathons 18/18
Finishers’ medal from 2025 London Marathon
After falling off my bike and smashing my knee, I deferred my 17th marathon a year to 27 April 2025. London at last, having been lucky on the ballot. 59 years old, running in 28 degrees C, I was delighted with 3:45:39. It’s like no other event. #18marathons 17/18
Finishers' medal from 2023 Loch Ness Marathon
Sweet 16, back to Loch Ness, on 1 October 2023. I ran in supershoes with carbon plates for the first time, but started too far back and expended too much energy weaving through slower runners, hence a middling 3:34:01. No matter - I had a place for London the following spring! #18marathons 16/18
Finishers' medal from 2023 Manchester Marathon
Pandemic, bereavement and surgery behind me, my 15th marathon was my first with metalwork inside my left foot. At the age of 57, on 16 April 2023, I covered Manchester Marathon, in 3:25:04, with an Age Grade of 69.88%, my best yet. I thanked my surgeon afterwards! #18marathons 15/18
Finishers' medal from 2019 Loch Ness Marathon
My 14th marathon came after a tough work year. On October 6 2019 I was 53 and returned to Loch Ness to make my debut as a bearded runner. 3:50:43 was perfectly fine on this misty Sunday. I would recover and rebuild to Liverpool in spring 2020 and nothing could possibly stop me. #18marathons 13/18
Finishers' medal from 2018 Chester Marathon.
Marathon 13 later that year, back to Chester. 5 months after my fastest-ever, I ran my second-slowest, taking a full 59 minutes longer to finish, in 4:16:32. I madly tried to fight the inevitable and race hard, but should have just accepted my condition and enjoyed a sedate run. #18marathons 13/18
Finishers' medal from 2018 Edinburgh Marathon.
Number 12. 27 May 2018. Edinburgh. 52 years old. Fittest I've ever been. Broke several shorter PBs in training. Grimly chased a new PB. Portaloo stop nearly prevented it. Exhausting, joyless, and painful all the way. Achieved my personal record, unlikely to be broken, of 3:17:21. #18marathons 12/18
Finishers' medal from 2017 Chester Marathon.
My 11th marathon came two years later, because I ran a 55-mile ultra in 2016 rather than a marathon. Back to only 26.2 miles at Chester on 8 October 2017 at the age of 51. A disappointing 3:34:12, although the course crossed the border into Wales, for my third marathon nation. #18marathons 11/18
Finishers' medal from 2015 Loch Ness Marathon.
A perfect 10th marathon, on 27 September 2015, back at Loch Ness. I'd had calf problems so ran with kinesiology tape on them. I had to travel from the RAH on Friday night to Inverness by Saturday teatime to collect my number! Another PB, despite this being so hilly, with 3:19:55 #18marathons 10/18
Finishers' medal from 2015 Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
"Number 9. Number 9." Back in my home city on 14 June 2015, at 49, for a figure-of-8 round the unknown north and familiar south of Liverpool, past the end of my mum's road where she cheered me on. Went down with cramp at mile 23, but still made 3:25:39, a 10-minute PB. Euphoric. #18marathons 9/18
Finishers' medal from 2014 Greater Manchester Marathon.
My 8th marathon was in Manchester on 6 April 2014, and I was 48. I was weighing less now and had discovered structured training, which, along with support from family as I ran through Flixton, meant I knocked over 10 minutes off my PB. 3:36:05. 3:45 smashed, 3:30 now in my sights. #18marathons 8/18
Finisher's medal from 2013 Edinburgh marathon.
Back to Edinburgh for my 7th marathon, and 5th at this event, on 26 May 2013 at the age of 47. I finished in 3:46:31 making this a personal best, but only by about 2 minutes. I'm trending better over this first 5 years but the improvement has been very gradual. Next goal: sub-3:45. #18marathons 7/18
Finishers' medal from 2012 Loch Ness marathon.
For marathon number 6 I went north on 30 September 2012, to Loch Ness. Buses before dawn took runners from Inverness to the far end of the loch and we undulated back on my least flat but most scenic marathon to date. I was 46, and 3:55:40 felt like a quite respectable finish time. #18marathons 6/18
Finishers' medal from the 2011 Liverpool Marathon.
My 5th marathon on 9 October 2011 was the first one staged in my native Liverpool since 1992. We started over the water, and ran through an eerily quiet Mersey Tunnel to emerge in the city centre and tour the parks and promenade. I scored a narrow PB, at 3:48:27. It was sound, la! #18marathons 5/18
Finishers' medal for 2011 Edinburgh Marathon.
Marathon number 4, and once again it's late spring in Edinburgh. On 23 May 2011 I was 45 years old, and stayed under 4 hours, but failed to better my previous year's effort, finishing in 03:58:45. Same old, same old. But wait! This wasn't to be the only marathon I ran that year... #18marathons 4/18
Finishers' medal from the 2010 Edinburgh marathon.
3rd marathon, 3rd in Edinburgh, but for the first time I broke my 4-hour target time with a 20-minute personal best. At age 44, I finally started to learn, and this time carried my own water on my back because, it had been undersupplied at the hot 2009 race. 03:49:18. Get in! #18marathons 3/18
Finishers' medal from 2009 Edinburgh Marathon.
Marathon number 2, Edinburgh again, 31 May 2009, at the age of 43. I didn't yet know how to train and just increased the mileage right up to race day without much tapering. I'd been ill and tried to make it up, so ruinously ran 24 miles the weekend before. Disaster. 4:31:01. #18marathons 2/18
Finishers' medal for 2008 Edinburgh Marathon, looking slightly corroded.
My first marathon was Edinburgh on 25 May 2008. I was 42. I'd taken up running again as an adult 4 years previously. I remember getting to half way and realising I'd have to repeat what I'd just done. Aimed for sub-4hr, but very happy with 4:08:52. #18marathons
