​The Marathon Archive

 

Marathon 1 (Saturn - Nearly but not quite London Marathon, South) — 23 April 2023

* Target: Replaying a cancelled trail race on a muddy Thames path in Egham.

* Fueling: Relying completely on standard mass-market sports gels.

* Reality: Waking up with a cold and sprinting blindly off the start line.

* Official Time: 3:57:43

 

I completely underestimated the importance of a controlled, disciplined start. I bolted off the line and paid a massive price later in the race as my sector times dropped significantly. The river path got progressively muddier with every mile, and I vividly remember a tiny footbridge near the end feeling like an absolute mountain. 

 

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Marathon 2 (Tokyo Skyscrapers) — 8 October 2023

* Target: A highly unique, social street run through the heart of Tokyo.

* Fueling: Relying completely on standard mass-market sports gels.

* Reality: Stopping at traffic lights and practicing Japanese with the locals.

* Official Time: 3:48:12 (including all stops)

 

This was completely different from a standard, closed-course city marathon. Runners were grouped to encourage the social side of the sport, and we actually had to stop at red traffic lights along the open streets. I had an incredible time practicing my Japanese with local runners. There was no medal at the end—just a finisher's certificate—making it a beautiful, quirky cultural experience.

 

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Marathon 3 (Southampton Marathon) — 7 April 2024

* Target: Navigating severe crosswinds and a literal named storm.

* Fueling: Standard commercial gels, leading to a muscle glycogen crash where my legs completely seized up even though my heart rate stayed low.

* Reality: Jumping a loose iron fence flying at me inside a football stadium and a brutal wall-hit.

* Official Time: 3:57:02

 

After expecting a weather cancellation and having a few beers in the hotel bar the night before, I woke up to a raging storm. I ran an incredibly strong first 20 miles into a brutal headwind, but I fell behind on my fueling timeline. The crash was violent. I caught severe leg cramps on the second lap and literally collapsed into the arms of a random stranger. I nearly called a DNF, but a wonderful member of the public stayed with me until I could get back on my feet to finish. 

 

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Marathon 4 (Yorkshire Marathon) — 20 October 2024

* Target: A freezing, punishing loop through high winds, hard rain, and hailstones.

* Fueling: First race with zero carbohydrate intake, relying purely on salt tablets and water.

* Reality: A brutal, freezing struggle against a body that wasn't ready.

* Official Time: 3:54:40

 

Desperate to avoid the awful sugar spikes and crashes caused by synthetic commercial gels, I went completely cold turkey on carbohydrates for this race. My body was absolutely not adapted to this strategy yet. Combined with punishing headwinds, torrential rain, and actual hailstones, the entire race became a pure psychological and physical struggle from start to finish.

 

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Marathon 5 (Newport Marathon) — 13 April 2025

* Target: Testing my fat-adaptation on a warm course in Newport.

* Fueling: Zero gels again, navigating the distance entirely on salt tabs.

* Reality: Crushing a brand new Personal Best despite the final water stations running bone dry.

* Official Time: 3:44:11 (New PB)

 

My body was significantly better adapted to the low-carb strategy this time around. I started a bit too slow, which forced me to burn extra energy moving faster than my goal pace in the middle miles. I hit the wall with 10k to go, and to make matters worse, the final water station completely ran out of water in the heat. Despite the dehydration, I kept my pace up and crossed the line with a brand new personal best.

 

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Marathon 6 (Richmond Marathon) — 14 September 2025

* Target: A beautiful, expertly organized course finishing in Old Deer Park.

* Fueling: Continuing the no-carb approach with just water and salt tabs.

* Reality: My favorite and smoothest race execution to date, despite a late-stage fade.

* Official Time: 3:37:25 (New PB)

 

This was easily my favorite marathon experience. Everything clicked beautifully from the starting horn all the way to the 23-mile mark. At that point, my legs turned to absolute lead, making the final three miles a true mental grind. Still, the stunning scenery and seamless organization carried me through to another massive personal best.

 

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Marathon 7 (Abingdon Marathon) — 19 October 2025

* Target: Racing a second marathon just a few weeks after my Richmond peak.

* Fueling: Zero mid-race fuel intake under extreme weather conditions.

* Reality: Severe sleep deprivation, a heavy cold, and pushing an empty tank.

* Official Time: 3:52:00

 

This was easily my second hardest race. What I didn't realize at the time was the severe, compounding toll that racing back-to-back marathons on zero mid-race carbs was taking on my body. I spent the week entirely sleepless, worked heavy hours, and woke up with a cold on race morning. The weather was horrific—severe rain, high winds, and hail. I was just grateful to cross the finish line intact.

 

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Marathon 8 (Newport Marathon) — 19 April 2026 - DNF!!!

* Target: Turning a physical breakdown into a massive nutritional breakthrough.

* Fueling: The debut of my custom, homemade vegan endurance gels.

* Reality: A self-diagnosed RED-S recovery mission and an unavoidable mechanical foot injury.

* Official Time: DNF (Stopped safely at 13 miles)

 

The severe lack of carbohydrate intake during my previous races had caused my weight to plummet from 72kg down to a dangerously low 54kg. A physio suspected RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). With no professional guidance available, I launched my own rescue mission: eating five massive plant-based meals a day to restore my health, while formulating my own custom, homemade vegan gels. My energy engine felt absolutely indestructible on race day, but severe mechanical failure with my custom orthotic insoles a week prior forced me to step off at mile 13. The engine is fixed; now it's just time to fix the feet.