When keen marathon runner and Friend of the Canal & River Trust, Ed Wright spotted the opportunity to run the TCS London Marathon for our charity, he jumped at it.
This was the perfect chance to train alongside the canals he loves while raising money for a cause he’s committed to.
“I used to live just a minute from the Grand Union Canal in Hemel Hempstead,’ Ed explains, outlining how he got into marathon running. “So, when I gave up smoking and tried to get fit, it was only natural that my very first run would be along the towpath."
“About a month into running, a fundraiser asked me to become a Friend of the Canal & River Trust. It just made sense to support the charity, helping me to enjoy these runs, so I signed up for a monthly gift and have continued to donate for over ten years now.
Ed is just one of three fortunate place winners for the London Marathon this year
I found that running by the canal gave me time to myself, helped clear my head, and as a business owner, I came up with some good ideas while I was out running by the water. It’s like a parallel universe that quickly whisks you out of town and into a peaceful place where you can relax. I’ve always liked canals for that reason.
As a route, it’s nice and flat; there are very few road crossings, and you can see all kinds of wildlife and bits of history along the canal that you wouldn’t see anywhere else. There’s a section of my run that crosses a bridge over the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union. I’ve seen it being gradually restored from a dry ditch into a restored canal full of water, and it’s inspiring to see it moving on just a little further with every run you do.”
Ed’s training runs can take him from Hemel, right up as far as Leighton Buzzard, and although some parts of the towpath are muddier than others, he likes the idea that the money he’s raising could contribute to improving access to canals for everybody.
“Even though my original reason for running on canals was to have some time for myself, I’ve joined a local running club called Chiltern Harriers, and many other people use the canal for training as well. Now, half my friends are running club members, so it’s turned out to be really good for meeting people and socialising too."
Ed is one of just three fortunate place winners among the 50 to 60 applicants we’ve had for the London Marathon this year, so he’s glad he spotted our social media adverts when he did. Having raised money for other worthy causes in the past, he’s confident he can raise vital funds for our charity. Not least because his company will match whatever sponsorship he secures personally. In the meantime, he hopes his training continues to go well.
“Many of us in my running club are training for April marathons, and I'm somewhat in the middle. I'm not terrible, but not outstanding. There are quite a few very fast runners there. Our 16-week marathon training is set to begin next week, progressing from short, quick runs during the week to longer stretches on a Sunday.
The key thing is ensuring you don’t get injured; don’t push your body to places it doesn’t want to go. I haven’t had it too bad, but some people never reach that point. They get to 12 weeks, and it all falls apart. It happens. The trick is to listen to your body and not overdo it.
Some people panic, thinking they have to train constantly, but it’s okay to stop for a bit. If you feel a tweak in your knee, don't run through it and risk making it worse. You can miss training for one, two, or even three weeks if you need to. Don’t get hung up on following the training plan to the letter; just make it to the starting line.”
As an experienced marathon runner, Ed is keen to improve his time this year, and our fundraising team will be there on Tower Bridge to provide him and his fellow runners with every encouragement. However, while Ed is eager to give himself a better chance of being in future ballots, he is realistic about his chances.
“I'm trying to get to the Boston Marathon at some point. But every year it gets further away. The minimum qualifying time for a 50-year-old like me is three hours and fifteen minutes now. Last time, I ran a personal best of three hours and twenty-five minutes in perfect conditions with no injuries. So basically, I either need to get quicker or get even older to qualify!”
