Missed out on the London Marathon? There's always a loop to run round
Plus our usual round-up including podcasting with world mountain running champion Grayson Murphy and our article with ultra runner and Twitter sensation Jeremy Singh
In the least shocking news since, um… this time last year, I didn’t make it into the London Marathon.
The survey (ballot) said ‘uh-uh’’. It was a no from them. Better luck next time.
Now, I know I could dive into the world of charity places and there are lots of people who are doing just that. I wish them all the luck in the world as asking folk to put their hands in their pockets for something else during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis is a tough gig.
Personally, I’m not going down that route. Our friends and family gave generously when Michelle did London this year, and we are also both currently fundraising for the wonderful Bodie Hodges Foundation for whom we are running the Great North Run.
There has to be a limit on how many times you ask people to give.
Also on Running Tales:
Start with “stupid” and end in success… What does it take to complete a 145-mile race?
From marathons to best selling books - how running changed Hannah Phillips' life
Running to show the humanity behind every blanket - the story behind the 16:15 Charity Run
None of that is meant as any kind of criticism of the fantastic organisations which garner much needed funds from charity places at the London Marathon, or of those people who will work and train hard to take on the event and raise that money.
It’s just where I am right now.
Instead, I’ve decided to go for a different goal. Next month, I will be taking on the Big Bear Challenge at Salcey Forest in Northamptonshire.
It’s a 5km looped event, which continues for six hours, and I’m going to give running an ‘official ultra’ a shot.
I say ‘official’ as I did manage to complete 30 miles for our own Project 16:15 Charity Run, but that wasn’t a properly organised race.
And I’ve got at least two ultra running friends who are only too happy to remind me of that!
So, London Marathon, pah! You’re not far enough… let’s do this and see how far we get!
Happy running,
Craig
Did you get into London Marathon through the ballot or via a charity place - if so, what’s your London goal (plus feel free to plug your charity!)? If not, are you doing a different event instead? Let us know in the comments below.
If you do feel like sponsoring me to run the Great North Run for the Bodie Hodges Foundation, which supports families who have been bereaved of a child of any age, my fundraising page can be found here
This week on…
The podcast:
This week’s Running Tales Podcast guest was the incredible Grayson Murphy.
From two-time world mountain running champion to a track star who narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Olympics, the 28-year-old has made a career out of taking on different challenges and distances.
And what a career.
Despite only starting running aged 20, Grayson was soon ripping up records at the University of Utah, setting new standards in the steeplechase, 5,000m and 10,000m events and becoming a five times All-American.
A professional contract followed, but life on the track didn't go exactly to plan to begin with and Grayson made the sudden and surprising switch to trail running.
Victory at the American championship followed - an event she has now won four times - and, on her debut at the race, she won the 2019 World Mountain Running Championships.
Two years later, she returned to the track in style for the Olympic trials, winning her semi-final and finishing sixth in the final of the 3,000m steeplechase.
This year, it was back to the mountains again and a second world championship win as Grayson captured first place in the up and downhill race in Austria.
Running Tales spoke to her about how football (aka soccer) had been her first love, why she loves running such a variety of events and the joys of 'aeroplane arms'.
Substack:
This week we wrote about how Jeremy Singh has gone from overweight dad to six times ultra marathoner - collecting an audience of more than 40,000 followers on Twitter along the way.
The Massachusetts resident is now set to run 100 miles at the Ghost Train ultra on October 14-15.
Meanwhile, his social media running hints and tips have even resulted in requests for t-shirts boasting his catchphrase '#goforarun”.
We also published our latest look at some of our favourite podcasts, vlogs and articles that we have seen over the past week.
This week’s post included a Runner’s World article asking whether women - such as Camille Herron - are made for ultra running, a podcast look at 10 of the world’s most unique races, and some valuable nutrition advice.
You can read our piece in full here: From unique races around the world to the best hiking nutrition
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