This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Martin set for a ninth and final London marathon
30/09/2021
Having first completed the marathon in 1989, Martin Jones will hang up his running boots after raising money for Macmillan this Sunday
This weekend Martin Jones will run his ninth – and final – London Marathon. Martin, who works for the DCS Group on Noral Way in Banbury, first pounded the streets of London in the world-famous run back in 1989, but has decided after the event on Sunday he will be hanging up his running boots.
Martin, who is 62, will be running with his daughter Caroline Robertson, a reception school teacher from Matlock in Derbyshire. They are raising money for Macmillan.
Martin feels he has to complete the marathon just one more time to honour a promise to Caroline. He said: “My daughter was born in 1989. She has applied to run for at least the last twelve years and has been turned down every year. She’s seen me run with my wife, my wife’s sister, my son and all the time I’ve told her that if she gets in I’ll run with her.
“Low and behold this year I got in on the ballot and Macmillan kindly gave her a place.
“We pleaded with them as I said I’m getting on a bit so this is probably my last chance to go with her!”
Martin’s wife was the first family member to undertake the London marathon, securing a place in 1987. He was successful in being allocated a place two years later.
Martin has run for Macmillan several times.
The London Marathon is normally held in April meaning training is completed during the winter months. The later running of the event due to the pandemic has led to summer training this year.
Martin said: “We’ve been quite lucky. There’s been the odd scorching week and for people like me trying to do long mileage over the hot days is almost impossible. We’ve been very fortunate of late that we’ve been able to get out.”
Martin, who has two grandchildren, has undertaken a training schedule involving running 35-40 miles per week. Over the last couple of weeks that has been tapered down to 15-20 miles and for the last few days he has simply completed a daily run of 2 or 3 miles, keeping his legs ready for Sunday.
Running with number 5394, Martin says his aim this year is simply to finish so Macmillan receive the money he and Caroline have been pledged – some £3,000 so far. In 1994 he completed the 26.2 mile course with a personal best of 3 hours and 22. Thinking of this year’s time he said: “Anywhere between 4 hours 30 minutes and 5 hours I will be thrilled to bits.”
And could anyone persuade Martin to run the London Marathon again after this year. “No I’m serious,” he says. “I’ll gladly go and spectate, cheer people on and give advice and help. I love my bike and do a lot of cycling but [training for the marathon again] has been a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, getting fit for the start.”
You can donate to Martin and Caroline’s fund raising marathon run for Macmillan here.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam