New video’s up, and this one’s been in my head for a while: six years running the same marathon at Manchester, never once going slower. From 2:55:02 on my debut in 2014 down to 2:26:48 in 2019, finishing 7th. Same course, same club vest, just a different runner each spring, if that makes sense.

I go through what changed each year, the good decisions and the daft ones. There’s the year I nearly got pipped on the line by a man twice my age, which taught me something about running I still lean on now. There’s the year of 170 mile weeks that ended with crutches in the car, and then, only two weeks later, my first marathon win. And there’s the 9:35 jump in one go, which still doesn’t quite make sense written down, but I try to explain why it happened.

Towards the end I pull it together into three things I’d tell anyone building towards a spring marathon in 2027, and how that same thinking is exactly what I’m using right now for my own block towards Valencia on 6 December. 67 days out as I write this, with 2:24:35 sat there to beat.

It’s a longer one than usual because six years is a lot of ground to cover, but I’ve tried to keep each year tight so it doesn’t drag. If you’ve got a race you keep going back to year after year, I’d love to know in the comments what it is, and whether you’re still finding time in it. I read every comment, so don’t be shy.

Full video’s above, give it a watch when you’ve got a few minutes. Just keep running.

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