Before taking on the London Marathon, John had had minimal experience of marathon running, telling us: “This was my first marathon. I have previously only run one half marathon, and that was May last year. Before that, I was a non-runner and I did Couch to 5k.”
Living in the Milton Keynes area, John chose to run for the Canal & River Trust due to his close personal connection to his local canals and waterways: "As a kid, I was always drawn to water, so I spent a lot of time in and around water, from fishing to just messing around. As an adult, I did a fair amount of fishing on the canals and rivers in my local area, so it's great to be able to help to keep the canals alive."
Training on the towpaths
In preparation for London Marathon, John spent four months training and preparing for the big day, and much of this training he did along the towpaths of his local canal network. He says, "In my area, I find it so much easier to jump on the towpath and you can just go for miles and miles, especially along here. The Grand Union Canal goes all the way to Birmingham so that's a long, long way. But 10 miles out and back is a really enjoyable experience.”
As part of representing the Canal & River Trust at London Marathon, John also fundraised to support the work we do, and with the help of family, friends and workplace colleagues he was able to raise over £2000, to support the wildlife, heritage and history of the network.
The Trust would like to extend our congratulations to John for his commitment, determination and incredible fundraising efforts, and hope that his story has inspired you too to take on a challenge, achieve your goals and help support your wildlife and your heritage.
If you’ve been inspired by John’s story, you can check out our upcoming events, find a challenge and support us.
