London Marathon Mania!

By Londonist_Laura Last edited 203 months ago
London Marathon Mania!

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What's your name and which part of London do you live in?

My name's Tim Jude and I live in Acton, West London.

How long have you been running for?

I started running 3 years ago when a friend persuaded me to take part in a 5k race (which at the time felt like an impossibility). For many years previously I'd tried out running on various occasions, only to give up after the first 2 minutes because it all seemed like too much hard work... my knees hurt and I'd get a stitch!

Is this your first Marathon?

I'm a genuine first-timer. My longest run to date is 18 miles, which I completed in training 3 weeks ago. I'm sure my friends think I have an inbuilt ability to run long distances, but I can assure you I've had to work hard for every one of those miles.

What inspired you to enter the Marathon?

I've always been into endurance sports, having cycled competitively through my teens and early twenties, and the London Marathon has fascinated me since I was a kid - watching the race on TV every year and dreaming of taking part. A couple of years back I had a moment of clarity (no booze involved!) and realised, as clichéd as it sounds, that I can't spend the rest of my life thinking "What if?". You never know what life holds in store for you.

Are you running for charity?

Yes, I'm running for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The charity's main objective is to help find a cure for Type-1 diabetes - which strikes children suddenly, makes them insulin-dependent for life, and carries the constant threat of complications. From a young age the unfairness of being struck by such a condition has frustrated me.

Do you have a funny training story you'd like to share?

The mere sight of my skinny legs in Lycra running tights is amusement enough. Makes me laugh past every shop window!

What time are you hoping for on Sunday?

Following all the illness and injury setbacks I've experienced over the past 6 months, 4:30 would be great. As a first-timer, any finishing time will be a personal best.

Do you have any post-Marathon celebrations planned?

Alcohol will definitely be back on my agenda...I'm actually just looking forward to getting a social life back. It's more or less been cancelled since Christmas and it's been really tough to simultaneously ignore friends whilst asking them for sponsorship money!

Will you be running again next year?

I have a horrible feeling that I just might. The combination of a time to beat and my ultra competitive personality will make a bad combination...Who'd like to join me?

Visit Tim's Justgiving sponsorship page here.

Image adapted from "Running" by Auntie P under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License

Last Updated 19 April 2007