Well done to Sandhurst Joggers member Alison Jones for completing her 50th marathon recently, I caught up with her (I didn’t have too far to go!) to find out more about her journey.
MY JOURNEY TO 50 MARATHONS
On completion of my 50th Marathon on 18th May 2021 I have been asked to write something about my journey, so here goes.
I was never planning to run a marathon, well maybe just the one, and if I did not die in the process that would be that ticked off, somehow that never quite happened.
My marathon journey started in Edinburgh in 2012, I ran this with my sister, I said when is the next one, she said never again, we have both stayed true to our word.
I have been to Europe, America and the Far East to run marathons and on the way I achieved the 6 Marathon Majors of Berlin, New York, London, Chicago, Boston and Tokyo, it was in Chicago that I saw the Abbott’s stand and went along to see what it was all about, when I realised I already had 3 of the events ticked off and was about to run the fourth I set about entering for Boston, fortunately I was well inside the qualifying time, so after Boston only Tokyo which I completed in 2017.
These were obviously a high point, but I had some great adventures like hitch hiking to the start of a race dressed in a long dress and tiara in thunder and lightning, running through French Vineyards, running through English Vineyards dressed in a kilt and running the final 2 furlongs of Chester Racecourse dressed in English Athletics kit.
When I started out all my marathons were on road, but I have since discovered the beauty of trails, but I have run laps, out and back, point to point, in snow storms, 3 marathons in 3 days you name it I have probably done it.
I thought I had this marathon business worked out, 4.18 at Edinburgh, 4.02 Amsterdam, 3.58 Prague and then 3.56 Dublin, so the more you do the quicker you get? Somehow along the way this theory has proven not to be the case, but what you loose one way you gain another, I might never see those times again but I have never had such fun and have found running with great friends has given me a new lease of life, no matter the distance.
I don’t know if I will ever reach 100, but I really don’t care, I did not know I had reached 50 until I counted them up, as they say” if you enjoy it it’s not work” and that’s how I feel.
Here are some pictures during her many events:
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