During March, as part of my 2026 miles in 2026 project, I took part in two races. Two very hilly races, which were also important milestones on my road to the London Marathon on 26 April.
The first was the Liversedge Half Marathon on 1 March, which also happened to be my 59th birthday. A birthday treat of 13.1 miles felt about right given my advancing years and recent abstinence from alcohol.
The race starts in Roberttown, just up the road from Spen Valley and the Princess Mary Stadium, where we compete for the West Yorkshire Track and Field League. It was the 30th running of the Liversedge Half and my first time doing it in those 30 years. It had a good community feel about it. Registration was in a community centre and it felt like the community had come together to host it.
Although the roads weren’t fully closed, there was a closed start before opening out onto a mixture of road, pavement, and the odd grass verge. Challenging terrain, and challenging topology too.
It was hilly. Very hilly. Coupled with a strong wind of up to 20 miles an hour at times, it made for a hard half marathon. I was aiming to run at marathon pace, or marathon effort at least, and it was hard to hold pace given the conditions. I came in just under 1:30 in 1:28:37, which actually ahead of my marathon pace. A few people around me started racing towards the end and getting a bit competitive and collapsing across the line, but one thing the 2026 project has taught me is that it’s about playing the long game. I let them go and came away happy with a strong training run in the bank.
Later in the month came the Spen 20. Another long standing race and, for me, one of the few 20 mile events left locally. The East Hull Harriers 20 has now disappeared from the calendar, and the Spen 20 wasn’t overly subscribed either, which surprised me. For a race that sits perfectly in the spring marathon calendar, I’d have expected more entries. Maybe the topology puts people off. If the Liversedge Half was hilly, the Spen 20 was hilly and then some. Just short of 500 metres total elevation. Broadly the same kind of route, up and down, on and off pavements, but with an added loop.
One nice touch was the start and finish at Spen Valley Stadium, somewhere I’ve been many times for track and field. Setting off on the track felt familiar, and finishing with half a lap of the track after 20 miles out on the roads of Spen Valley and Liversedge was a moment to savour. A few people got slightly lost coming in through the car park at the finish and could have done with a marshal to guide them through and onto the track. Though after 20 miles on those hills, nobody really wanted to be making navigational decisions. The marshals out on the course were friendly throughout, and I knew quite a few of the Spenborough AC crew from competing with them in the West Yorkshire League. It was good to have a chat with Jake, Glenn, and Kieran beforehand and to hear familiar shouts of encouragement out on the course.
I managed to finish in around 2:22, which was just about marathon effort but short of marathon pace this time. It was hard to judge the pace with all the hills, but I ran the whole thing keeping my heart rate under 150 bpm, which is effectively my marathon heart rate. The weather was fine and the wind wasn’t too bad this time around, but the hills were relentless.
Somehow, I came away with a prize. Third over 40, which was a bit of a surprise at 59. The first M55 was Jonathan Walton of Leeds City, who ran a stunning 2:02:33. I came second M55 but, as the prizes rolled down, I picked up third over 40. A nice bonus. It was also good to see some familiar Selby Striders faces, including Lizzie Nairn, Ian Robertson, and Mark Thompson. And a big thank you to Paul Baker who was out on the course at various points cheering people on. On a tough course, that kind of support genuinely helps.
March has been my biggest mileage month for a very long time. Probably my biggest since before Boston 2022. I’ve managed to string together eight 40 mile weeks with just one dip with illness since the start of February. Two more 40 mile weeks in April and I will be happy to be more or less on track again for 2026 miles in 2026.
I’m enjoying the project, but my body is feeling the miles. My right-side sciatica keeps flaring up, which has happened before and I know how to manage it, but it does need keeping on top of. I’m still doing 40 miles a week and I have a holiday in Madeira coming up, which will be a chance to relax, ease the sciatica, and let the body recover a little. My daughter Rose has started enjoying endurance running and has been joining me on a few shorter runs with Vale of York, so we might go for a gentle jog along the promenade while we’re out there. A couple of miles at most. Mostly it’ll be mobilisations and looking after myself so I can come back with two weeks to go, get in one more easy 40 mile week, and then taper down to the big one.
Things are looking good. My heart rate is exceptionally low after all this mileage. I had a run at marathon pace on the flat yesterday and I am settling at about 147 bpm now without the carbon shoes. It’s just a case now of making sure the body catches up with the cardiovascular fitness. London and 3 hours is very much on.
