As mentioned, the Running Grand Prix Bedford Half Marathon will be my 22nd half marathon since 2007, over 11 years ago, when I ran my first half marathon (the Leeds Half Marathon) at 22 years old. Between the ages of 27 and 31, during my physical athletic peak years it was all about my race time, earning PB’s and being as fast as I can be. Now, at 33 years old going on for 34 years of age in several months time, it is now all about reaching my milestones.
It has been my long term ambition for quite a number of years now to run 20 Leeds Half Marathon’s in 20 years, something that once I achieve (and believe me I will, I’ve ran several of them with injuries), I will be so proud of myself. However, I won’t be satisfied until I reach an even bigger milestone, running 50 half marathon races.
If I double that and also run the Liversedge Half Marathon every year as well as the Leeds Half, that is another 8 half marathon’s in the same time and I will have hit 38 half marathon’s. That leaves me with another 12 to achieve and if I carry on with the same two half marathon’s a year, then I will achieve this within another 6 years. That’s it, in 14 years time I should have achieved my long term ambition of 50 half marathon’s and I will be 47 years old.
I may not be at the level of running close to 1:20:00 half marathon’s anymore but I have accepted that and I’m creating my own legacy by moving the goal posts in regards to future ambitions. There is always the chance I might achieve it sooner, there is nothing to stop me running other half marathon’s here and there to top it up.
Below is the statistical view of my 14 year plan to reach 50 half marathon races:
2018:
Bedford Running Grand Prix Half Marathon
2019:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
2020:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
2021:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
2022:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
(will be my 30th half marathon)
2023:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
2024:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
2025:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
2026:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
(will be my 20th LHM)
2027:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
(will be my 40th half marathon)
2028:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
2029:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
2030:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
2031:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
2032:
Liversedge Half Marathon
Leeds Half Marathon
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - 50
So, after 14 years of grafting on the pavements and roads, I will hit 50 half marathon races at the still relatively young running age of 47. In fairness, I was 22 years old when I ran my first half marathon in 2007, by the time I hit 47 years old in 2032, when I eventually reach my goal of 50 half marathon races, I will be like an old car with too many miles on the clock. It will be 25 years of road running, half marathon’s, 8 marathon’s, 5 20 milers, all the miles of training and other types of races and distances such as the cross country competitions, trail races, track races and not to mention all the competitive football. Age wise it sounds relatively young for a distance runner or long distance runner but in reality I will have been competing in competitive sport since the age of 8 and I started running half marathon’s at a very young adult age, many amateur runners get into the sport a little later in life, early 30s and even 40s for some.
I think my 14 year plan is very realistic and I think that I have been very clever in not planning too many half marathon’s each year to eventually reach my goal. Both the Liversedge and Leeds Half Marathon’s are very tough races compared with many half marathon’s around the country and I am looking forward to the challenge I have set myself. I have broken the plan down into achievable segments. I may run the odd extra half marathon and reach my target sooner, however, as the old saying goes: ‘it’s a marathon, not a sprint’, if you would pardon the pun. ;-)
Marathon Count: 8 (retired in 2018, aged 33)
PB: 2:57:29 (achieved in 2014, aged 29
Twenty Miles Count: 5
PB: 2:14:13 (achieved in 2016, aged 31)
Half Marathon Count: 21
PB: 1:22:45 (achieved in 2014, aged 29)
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