Our 26.2 Challenge – DONE!

On Sunday 26th April, we should have been running in the London Marathon for our fantastic charities. As you know, the race has been postponed until Sunday 4th October.
We thought that we’d do something during the week before to thank all our wonderful friends who have already sponsored us by donation or buying the album. So, we decided to run Marathon distance – 26.2 miles over the course of the week wearing our respective charities vests.
This challenge was inspired by our Palace and running mate, Danielle Moss, who was due to run the Brighton Marathon last Sunday and spent the week completing this challenge herself.
I’m delighted to say we both completed the challenge, as you can see from the chart below. You can also read a day-by-day account for what has been something of a milestone running week.
PROGRESS CHART
Date | Neil’s Mileage/ Total | Sue’s Mileage/ Total |
Monday 20/4/20 | 3.25 / 3.25 | 3.25 / 3.25 |
Tuesday 21/4/20 | 5.5 / 8.75 | 5 / 8.25 |
Wednesday 22/4/20 | 4.5 / 13.25 | 3.15 / 11.4 |
Thursday 23/4/20 | 3.25 / 16.5 | 3.21 / 14.61 |
Friday 24/4/20 | 3.15 / 19.55 | 3.45 / 18.06 |
Saturday 25/4/20 | 3.55 / 23.10 | 3.12 / 21.18 |
Sunday 26/4/20 | 3.25 / 26.35 | 5.12 / 26.3 |
MONDAY RUNS
We both started off with a gentle (i.e. slow!) morning run around the ‘Bowie’ 5K Course, although I ran it in reverse. Meaning the big pull up was at the end instead of the start of the run. Hmmm, not the best idea.

TUESDAY RUNS
We headed off on divergent paths today. Sue started off in an easterly direction and ran out to West Wickham, via Langley Park golf course, then back via Eden Park and Elmers End Green. I made the most of the weather in South Norwood Country Park, where I got a welcome round of applause for running up the steep hill from unseen observers. There was also some fine Spring birdwatching was to be had. Although the first Swallows of summer had moved on from Saturday’s spot, a more elusive migrant: the Whitethroat was on show today – along with the more common birds: Green and Goldfinches, Blue and Great Tits, Robins, Blackbirds, Wrens, Hedge Sparrows, Parakeets, Crows, Ducks and Geese of many varieties, plus a fine flying display from a pair of mating Kestrels. Sights to lift the spirits, if not the pace!
Sue’s Tuesday Run Neil’s Tuesday Run
WEDNESDAY RUNS
Day 3 in the Marathon Challenge household. Sue elected for a local 5K run, whereas I decided today was the day for my weekly hill training. Sue decided to push her pace a bit on a flat-ish circuit. For me, the repeated hill was enough of a challenge, although I did run home the long way to push my mileage over the halfway stage. The bird spot that made me happy today was a Nuthatch in Crease Park.
Neil’s Wednesday Run Sue’s Wednesday Run
THURSDAY RUNS
Both well over the halfway mark of our challenge today, Sue went for her weekly Hill training run today, plus an longer way back home. I did our classic, original 5K course with an extra bit tacked on to meet up with Sue. We ran the last half a mile together (appropriately distanced and in single file, of course). No birding for me today as it was a street route, but am very jealous of my mate, Peter Brown who spotted a albino magpie in Coney Hall on his morning ramble!
Neil’s Thursday Run Sue’s Thursday Run
FRIDAY RUNS
Four years ago today, Sue and I were running our first ever Marathon. The temperatures couldn’t be more different. In 2016, it was barely 4C, today it’s up in 20s. The story of our day can be found here.

With that amazing day very much on our minds, we struck out for easy 3 milers close to home. We are both beginning to feel a little tired and leggy, as the increase our daily mileages kick in. Sue has started to feel a little tightness in her left hamstring, whereas my discombobulation was more down to the beers and gin in the virtual pub session yesterday evening.
I don’t usually run with music, these days, but I fired up my 2016 LM playlist – mostly to take my mind off my hangover, but also to commemorate that special day. It certainly helped as it ended up being was my fastest pace this week.
Sue’s Friday run Neil’s Friday run
SATURDAY RUNS
By rights this should have been the day I hit 250 parkruns. I was on 243 when the lockdown happened and it’s been 7 weeks since. Up to today, I’ve faithfully run 5K every Saturday at the South Norwood parkrun (original course) incorporating it within my weekly 10 miler long run. However, as today would have been a milestone run, we ventured a little further afield, back to place where we ran our first parkruns: Lloyd Park in Croydon.

L to R: Tracy Peto, Andy Gibson, Sue, Neil and Aidan Devaney.
Fellow Eagles Fitter Fan Aidan, pictured above, was the chap responsible for introducing us both to parkrun, although it must be said Sue had ventured out before me, in the most filthy conditions and still came back for more.
Fast forward, seven years and 19 days, Sue and I were back at Lloyd a little bit before 9am to complete the course once more. Due to our tourism streak we’d not run there since Christmas Day 2018 and we were both surprised at the number of changes to the park. A cycle path has been laid on a short section of the course, which was a nice surface to run on, but I reckon must cause some ‘traffic’ issues when 300+ runners are in attendance. Also the woodland paths seemed much wider and more defined. No sign of the infamous mud, of course – due to the recent weather the going was bone hard everywhere. Some things don’t change though, the hills are still a proper challenge.
We spotted a couple of regular Lloyd parkrunners out on the course and it was good to say hi… I think they remembered us! The park seemed relatively quiet compared to South Norwood, but I do wonder whether the chillier and cloudy morning was a factor in that. I felt quite cold in my running vest at the start, but thankfully soon warmed up.
We both had very enjoyable runs this morning, I even went a bit quicker than of late, although our respective niggles did not approve of the undulations! I did a slightly longer distance, as I doubled back at the ‘finish’ line to run the last part again together with Sue.
I had some bitter-sweet feelings as we warmed down, glad we are are now well within sight of completing our little Challenge, but also thinking about what might have been. I suspect those mixed emotions will be hugely magnified tomorrow for us both, however, I do have something of a personal milestone to look forward to. More on that tomorrow…
‘250’ Up (kinda!) Two laps of this Bad Boy today
SUNDAY RUNS
“I would run 500 days and I would run 500 more
Just to be the man who ran a thousand days
As part of his daily chores”
Long term readers of the blog (Hi, both of you!) may remember that a while ago I started to run at least a mile a day, otherwise know as a R.E.D Streak. By incredible co-incidence my 1000th run fell on London Marathon Day i.e. Today. Whilst there may have no Marathon to run, there still was a challenge to be met and a milestone to make.

As predicted, a huge range of conflicted emotions were coursing through both of us. I woke up at the usual time, but ended up going back to bed, unable to think of going out for a run at the time when we should have been arriving at Greenwich station. And when I slept, I simply dreamed of the same thing. Eventually I surfaced to find Sue impatiently waiting to get the challenge done.
Although I was running for a longer overall distance, she also wanted to see me pass the mile marker, so had to wait even longer to start her own run! I decided to run the first mile around my usual block. Once the cheering Sue and the mile was in sight I raised my finger in salute just as I had crossing the line at our first Marathon in 2016.
We ran together for about half a mile and happily Sue was on hand to capture the photo below…

Bid it attendance!
Yes, that my friends is a #yellowhose snaking across the pavement. This won’t mean much to some, but those that know me and my eccentricities will realise this was a special, if very silly, moment for me. As Monty Python would say “It’s a sign! It’s a sign!” Well maybe not, but it certainly lifted my spirits.

Sue and I went our separate ways shortly after. Sue headed off on her familiar route down to West Wickham for the five miles she needed, whereas I only needed just over three to complete. Both of us were quite slow today with our niggles playing up worse that they have for the rest of the week, although we were never in any danger of not meeting the mileage requirements. The weather was perfect so taking it slowly was a pleasure, but we both know it’s definitely time to dial down the distance.
On our final respective miles, we both found ourselves visualising that last mile of the London Marathon route: past Big Ben, along Birdcage Walk, turning past Buckingham Palace onto The Mall, and the sight of the finish line. Sadly, we couldn’t be there for real today, but one day we’ll be back and those sights will be waiting for us.