My Story

It's all over!

Job done! What a remarkable day yesterday was - a great way to end my running challenge for Feba: I completed the second of two marathons just a fortnight apart!

It was an exhausting run in considerable heat, but the scenery was truly spectacular. For more details, please see the updated blog at www.feba.org.uk/Marathon

Thank you all so very much for your generous support over recent weeks - and also to those of you who have been following my running journey since I first registered for the London Marathon back in 2019. What a lot has happened since then!

If you're considering taking part in a similar endurance event and wondering if you could do it, then you're probaby able to do more than you imagine - and it will be an experience you won't forget!

If you'd like to stay in touch with Feba and are not connected at the moment, please do get in touch using the online contact form.

I'll leave it there for now - thank you again!

One down - one to go!

I made it! Just a couple of days ago, I was plodding around the streets of London part way through the 2022 TCS London Marathon - and what an experience it was!

I'm now back at my desk doing my 'day job' whilst nursing a few post-marathon aches and a slightly bothersome knee, with my sights firmly set on the Cape Town Marathon on Sunday 16th October. There is clearly limited time for full recovery and I will therefore need to consider my plan for that event very carefully, but I'm determined to press on as best I can. To find out more about my experience of the London Marathon, please see the latest blog post (incl. photos and video) at www.feba.org.uk/one-down

I'd like to say another very big "Thank You!" to everyone for your kind words of encouragement and your generous donations - they really do make such a tremendous difference.

Half way there!

(4th October 2022)

Double trouble!

Well - having signed up for London and later discovering that a work trip to South Africa would coincide with the Cape Town Marathon, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss: I'm hoping to complete both marathons in October!

The training is going OK so far, with some reasonable long runs and a few hills too. I'm not sure whether I find the summer or winter weather harder generally, but the 'heatwaves' have certainly been tough. The miles are adding up and I'm feeling fairly confident that I should be able to get around the course in London... but the prospect of doing two marathons just a fortnight apart is quite daunting. I'll obviously need to be sensible and ensure that I rest and refuel properly in between, but it would be a tremendous thrill to complete them both.

To find out more about my training, please visit the dedicated page on Feba's website.

Thank you for your interest and support - it really does make a difference.

(31st July 2022)

Could this be the year?!

When COVID scuppered plans for the original London Marathon in April 2020, I decided to run solo on a local seafront course I devised from home - unsupported; when the rescheduled October 2020 event was also cancelled, I ran a different local route with my brother on a truly foul-weather day; I'm now hoping that 2nd October 2022 will finally be the time to run on our capital's streets!

Perhaps one advantage of the 2020 experience is that I have at least some idea of what to expect: the training is tough, and the event itself is brutal... but I have some confidence based on the knowledge that I have covered the 26.2 miles twice before. Having said that, I am taking absolutely nothing for granted and am well aware that there's plenty of time for things to go wrong - not least in relation to issues of health and fitness. I have started my structured training plan and things are going OK so far, but I have about 375 miles (or 600km) to cover in the next 13 weeks, and that's quite daunting!

The commitment involved is considerable, and it clearly has an impact on personal and family life. The discipline and sacrifice required to prepare for a marathon shouldn't be taken lightly, and I'm very grateful to my family and friends for their support and encouragement. A key motivator has to be the cause for which I'm raising funds: Feba Radio. Working with partner organisations across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Feba enables and promotes the use of radio and other audio media to inspire people to follow Jesus Christ. It's an exciting ministry to be part of, sharing the unique message of God's love and hope in some of the world's most difficult places. I'd really appreciate any contribution you might be able and willing to make to support this great cause, thank you.

I'll try to share updates on my training progress via the dedicated page on Feba's website, and you can track my activities on Strava on this page too. If you have any comments or questions, then please do get in touch - it would be lovely to hear from you. If you're perhaps training for the marathon yourself and are perhaps interested in supporting Feba, do please drop us a line. Finally, if you happen to be in London on 2nd October - whether running or supporting - then I'd really appreciate a cheer if you spot me in my Feba shirt - thank you!

Best foot forward - one step at a time...

(29th June 2022)