MY JOURNEY TO MY 100th MARATHON - SUNDAY 2ND JUNE 2013. THE WALLED CITY MARATHON - LONDONDERRY, CO. DERRY |
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I wanted to replace my previous sport with something more flexible in terms of time, regarding training, so my brother-in-law Brian arranged to meet me at the Rand Athletic Club in Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa for an 8k time trial. After a short meeting with the club’s membership chairman and a short run, I decided to join. I had two and half great years there, where I made some fantastic friends and great memories of 10Ks, half marathons, marathons, ultra marathons and of course the Comrades Marathon 90K. |
I then changed clubs to Midrand Country Striders, a new club close to my home. I stayed there until I left to return back to Northern Ireland in 2001. We also had many great friends and lot of completive runners. |
| Some of my great race times and personal bests are, starting with my best times |
| 8 kms (5Miles) |
31.5 mins |
| Half marathon 21Km (13 Miles) |
81.50 mins |
| Vaal marathon 42Km (26Miles) |
2 hrs 48 mins |
| TwoOceans56Km(36Miles) Marathon, Capetown |
3 hrs 52 mins |
| The Comrades Marathon, the largest and most challenging race in the world over the distance of 90 kms (56 Miles). My best from all 5 which I completed was 7 hrs 07 mins. |
7 hrs 07 mins. |
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| These were all completed within the silver medals times. We used to train from 1250 to 1500 kms for the Comrades Marathon 90km race. |
| After returning to Northern Ireland and interested to get to know Europe and looking to build up my fitness, after taking some out in order to organise my family moving back to Cookstown. |
| Within a few weeks, a gentleman by the name of Stanley Reid from Cookstown, picked me up and took me to my first race in Armagh, a 10 mile race. I soon joined the then called Cookstown Harriers. A few years later, they became Sperrin Harriers Mid-Ulster. |
| So, in the last 12 years, I again have made many great friends with in the UK, Ireland and Europe. I have had the privilege to experience of running many great marathons, such as Paris, Berlin, Rome, London, Dublin, Barcelona, New York and Dingle, to name a few. |
| Running is a great way to keep fit and also can be used as a form of stress management. You get to experience many great outdoor venues, parks, etc. Of course you require good discipline, motivation, a training program and a positive mental attitude. All these qualities can be applied to your work or your business with great benefits. |
| If you are a newcomer to the marathon world, allow yourself to have two to three years to build up your strength and endurance. Join a suitable club that has a good training program for beginners as well as experienced runners |
| I am very excited and really looking forward to the Derry Marathon and in celebrating the City of Culture and my 100th Marathon. It is a great milestone in my life and for my family. My wife Barbara has being fantastic all these years and is definitely one of my greatest supporters. We have had the honour and the privilege to visit some great parts of South Africa and Europe, etc. |
| My favourite song has got to be Chariots of Fire, as this was the theme tune at the beginning of every Comrades 90 km race. |
| I am approaching my sixtieth birthday this year and I hope to continue running. There are not many sports that allow you to carry on later in life, running and golf being the two that comes to mind. |
| So I hope to see many of my friends and supporters at the Walled City Marathon on Sunday the 2nd June in Derry, along with some of the British / Irish International 100 Club Members. |
