My Marathon Journey: From London 1999 to Boston 2024! 🏃🏼♀️
Wow, what a journey! On 15th April, I completed my 20th marathon at Boston, proudly receiving my Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Finisher Medal confirming that I’d run marathons in the six majors: London, New York, Berlin, Chicago, Tokyo and, of course, Boston.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
But I wasn’t always a runner. At school, I ran the compulsory cross-country race in the sixth form… that was it. However, everything changed when I started working in London in my twenties - I knew I needed to lose some weight and running seemed like the perfect fit for my lifestyle. 💭
Fast forward to 1999 when I ran my first London Marathon, six months after giving birth to our first child. I’d planned to run the race in 1998 but on discovering I was pregnant, deferred my place to the following year. Two more children followed and running marathons wasn’t really on the agenda again until 2012 when I ran the Brighton Marathon and, unexpectedly, ran it fast enough for a Good For Age place for London. 🏃🏼♀️
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Pain in my right leg bothered me for years until I finally discovered the root cause: congenital hip dysplasia. Basically, I was born with wonky hips. After years of managing the pain with osteopathy, heat pads and Pilates, Christmas 2021 was a huge turning point. When I could only get up the stairs on all fours because of the pain, I knew it was time for a hip replacement. With the support of an incredible surgeon who was very pro running, I underwent surgery in January 2021 during lockdown.
Within days I was walking on the treadmill. Within weeks I was back on my indoor bike and that June, I was slowly easing back into running, With my surgeon’s blessing, I ran the London Marathon in October 2021 in 3:47:47, good enough for a Good For Age place for London 2022. In March this year, at the age of 54, three years post-hip replacement, I clocked my fastest marathon yet by 11 minutes… 3:32:16. Don’t anyone ever tell you that you’re too old or it’s too late! 🤩
Let’s talk about the Boston marathon a bit:
It’s a prestigious race as you have to qualify for a place.
It’s a point-to-point course so you are driven on school buses to the start line 26.2 miles outside Boston and then run back.
The first Boston marathon took place in 1897.
The course is undulating.
The downhill start makes it tempting to go off too fast. But you need to pace yourself for the Newton Hills that start at mile 16 and finish with Heartbreak Hill at mile 21, testing every ounce of your strength.
The weather conditions can be extreme. It seems to either be super cold and/or wet or hot.
So how did it go for me? ✨
I’d run Tokyo five weeks before and so the Boston marathon was always going to be a struggle mentally and physically. It was a hot day (in the 70s) and I knew at mile 2 my legs didn’t have a race in them. At that point, I decided not to look at my watch and run the best I could. Each mile was a battle but the crowd support was incredible. I dug deep and journeyed my way back to Boylston Street and that iconic Boston Marathon finish line. 💪🏼
It’s now time for some much-needed rest and recovery. That’s me for marathon running for the rest of the year, or that’s the plan anyway! But, I look ahead with excitement to London 2025 along with the possibility of tackling my first ultra. But it’s not just the races that keeps me coming back for more. It’s also the community. From pre-race meet-ups, bus rides to start lines and the camaraderie on the course, I’ve forged lifelong friendships through running. Joining my local running club, Crowborough Runners, has opened up a whole new world of experiences including early morning starts to get to muddy cross country races. Who knew trail shoes were a thing? 👟
Now, as I embark on the journey to become a trained England Athletics’ ‘Leader in Running Fitness’, I’m eager to pay it forward and inspire others to discover the joy of running. Marathon running has taught me resilience, perseverance, and the power of pushing through the tough times. Whatever distance you choose, whether it’s a 5K, a half marathon, a marathon or an ultra, each race is a testament to your strength and determination.
So here’s to embracing the journey, bumps and all, and crossing every finish line with pride. After all, the road to success is rarely smooth, but with each challenge, we emerge stronger and more resilient than before.
Janie x