Reading Force has two runners taking part in the 2026 event on behalf of our charity. Lizzie Jones, Operations Director of the Supacat Group (one of our sponsors) and living in Devon, and Becca Clark, military partner with long-term ambitions to be a SEND specialist. Becca is currently living in Aldershot, home of Reading Force, having moved there from Northern Ireland earlier this year. Both have two children and have long had running a London Marathon on their personal bucket list.
We recently held a planning meeting, to talk about how to promote their involvement, and raise the profile of the charity at the same time, and I was reminded me of my own experience of running the London Marathon in 2014. These are the things I had forgotten about:
- The need for a training regime, now available online. Once you insert the date you want to start, the app delivers a relentless countdown towards the big day. The updates and reminders ensure there is no chance of you forgetting your upcoming date with destiny.
- All the early starts – in my case, going out for a run first thing in the morning. When everyone else in the world is fast asleep and it’s still dark. Bed feels very hard to leave.
- The weather. We see pictures of the marathon being run in Spring sunshine and for me the iconic image was always going to be running over Tower Bridge in the middle of a happy crowd. But the training has to be done in all weathers, and at the time of year when they are most likely to happen. Rain, sleet, even snow – and penetrating cold.
- The sudden (and expensive) need for appropriate running clothing. Materials that will perform well when wet; seams that are in the right place for comfort. Shoes in particular, and even socks come in for renewed attention!
- Blisters and how to avoid and deal with them.
- The fuel. Mealtimes having to be juggled around running; as well as giving consideration to what you can eat. The fridge starting to fill up with energy snacks that you have to work out how to open while running (and protect from non-runners, who find them tempting).
Looking back however, it seems my memory of the effort involved has disappeared and the main recollection is of pride, that I really did do this. The medal still hangs in my bedroom, on display.
We are thrilled that Becca and Lizzie are doing this on our behalf and much looking forward to cheering them on. And delighted that the monitoring of their journey is inspiring other runners, and different generations, to get going. We have places for the next three years, so do think about running for Reading Force in either 2027 or 2028. Unless of course Becca and Lizzie want to move beyond ‘once in a lifetime’ and make it a double?!