NICK LOUGHLIN, a former Northern Echo Sports Editor, is running the 2022 London Marathon in aid of Prostate Cancer research.

In a series of blogs ahead of October’s event, he hopes to take you through his journey.

Running at school was, to be honest, a bit of torture. Sweat blood was the encouraging words by Mr Brownbridge, a hard PE taskmaster as he slogged us around the cross country field in bleak mid-winter.

It was Tom Brownbridge who gave me my first London Marathon memory. I’ll say it was a Monday afternoon in 1987.

Oh how we laughed looking out of a classroom in C block at High Tunstall School in Hartlepool to see him hobbling across the yard, as stiff as the proverbial board. I remember his glare back at us all sniggering. He will have taken it out of us in PE that week, I’m certain of it!

But he had just completed the Mars London Marathon and was straight back at school the next day. 

These days there’s nothing but respect for him and what he and 1000s of others have done over the years in completing the 26.2 miles and 365 yards around the capital.

This year it’s my turn. 

Training? It’s started well, stretching myself gradually from a 13 mile run up to a comfortable 18 miles in around 2 hours 45 mins. Some training programmes say if you can do 20-22 miles then the adrenaline and emotion of the day will carry you through the streets of London. I’ve just racked up 20 miles in a training run as I type.

I’ve been doing HIIT classes to build stamina and various different types of running: short and sharp, hill work, sprints, pyramids. I’ve enjoyed them all and having the discipline to do them.

OK, I’ve slacked a little and over indulged during 10 days in Italy, but I did take my running gear, ran in Pisa, Florence (even taking in a parkrun!) and Lucca but warm (well hot really) weather training on holiday is for serious athletes and not hopefuls like me.

But I’ve listened to seasoned marathon runners and taken on board their advice on eating and drinking during a long run (all advice is welcomed!) and it’s all about the preparation and training now.

Podcasts on marathon running and books have been devoured. Knowledge is power as they say. Come Sunday, October 2 I hope they go hand in hand.

Nick is running the 2022 London Marathon as part of the Prostate Cancer UK team. To get involved and sponsor him, visit his Just Giving page at here.