THE SAPPHIRE RUNNING ZONE RUNNER STORIES

Mary Keane from Edinburgh first signed up to run the London Marathon for the BackCare charity in 2019.  First Covid and then a number of injuries have prevented her from doing so. Now she is back and raring to go in the 2026 event. Follow her progress as she trains and fundraises for this very deserving charity. More episodes to come soon.

You can support Mary by making a donation on her fundraising page here 

If you'd like to foll...

Chris has battled through some serious life challenges, including cancer, but he's come out the other side in the best shape of his life. He attributes this to his new found passion for running, fitness and fundraising. Previously a junior elite runner and with a sub 3 hour marathon to his name, running took a back seat while life took over and the silent assassin, stress, became a real issue. On this podcast he talks about the nee...

Chef Joel Mays III has been bitten by the running bug. He only started running in June 2022 and has already completed 3 marathons with Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. coming up next in October. On this podcast he shares his running journey with us, including what it's like to train in the heat and humidity of Dallas, Texas, as he heads to the London Marathon 2026, where he'll run for the Backcare charity.

You can support h...

Tapantosh Chakrabarty started running marathons in 2000 at the age of 50. 25 years later and he's still at it. With more than 30 of the Majors under his belt, the seven continents and many of the leading destination marathons ticked off, there is literally no stopping him. Listen to his marathon stories and his words of wisdom, as he prepares for his next events, including the 2026 London Marathon for the UK charity Backcare.

If yo...

Grant only started up running again a couple of months ago but has already signed up for a Tough Mudder and the Loch Ness Marathon. He's a diabetic, so needs to be really aware of his nutrition intake as he increases his long runs. Follow his journey to one of the most famous lakes in the world.

For more podcasts head to https://www.sapphirerunningzone.com/podcasts. We have four channels, one on training support, another on fundrai...

Jon is a chef from the West Midlands and is a man driven by the desire to raise funds for Scoliosis Support & Research. His daughter Poppy suffers from the condition and was diagnosed before she turned one year old. She'll be proud of her dad. He raised over £3000 and battled the London heat in his first ever marathon. An inspiring listen.

Here's Jon's Just Giving page if you'd like to make a donation.

If you'd like to follow i...

How long does it take to train for a marathon? The general consensus is that you need to embark on a 16-20 week training programme, but what about if you've got 20 years of elite swim training under your belt? Adam has exactly that and he did things very differently...

For more podcasts head to https://www.sapphirerunningzone.com/podcasts. We have four channels, one on training support, another on fundraising, a third on runner sto...

10 years after losing his son Mark is still running and still fundraising. He's now in training for the 150km West Highland Way, an epic ultra, with breathtaking scenery and he's about to hit £20k of fundraising. Find out what's involved in running an event of this magnitude and the mental and physical commitment that's needed.

If you'd like to support Mark here's his fundraising page

This is the charity that he is supporting sands...

Race day in London 2025 wasn't a day for PB's, but George smashed his and only just missed going under 3 hours. Listen to how he progressed from 4.20 in his first marathon, to this new impressive landmark.

For more podcasts head to https://www.sapphirerunningzone.com/podcasts. We have four channels, one on training support, another on fundraising, a third on runner stories and a fourth on events. If you'd to be the focus on one jus...

As a member of the Cornwall Hospice Care fundraising team Jade has a little more pressure than the other runners raising money for the charity. No problem. She raised well over the pledge amount and had an amazing day in the London sun. Her journey has inspired others to lace up their running shoes and now she's looking at an ultra!

Here's Jade's Just Giving page if you'd like to make a donation.

If you'd like to follow in Jade's f...

Everything was going so well for Sian in training, but then she hit by a knee injury. It nearly prevented her from making the start line, but it didn't, just. She battled on and walked London in the sun, raising over £3000 and enjoying every single minute of it. Now it's off to the physio, to get ready for the next one...

Here's Sian's Just Giving page if you'd like to make a donation.

If you'd like to follow in Sian's footsteps an...

With a marathon as part of her training programme, back in December, Melissa had a different approach to traditional training and it really worked. With £3000 already raised her approach to fundraising also really worked, so it was no wonder her London Marathon adventure was so special. 

Here's Melissa's Just Giving page if you'd like to make a donation.

If you'd like to follow in Melissa's footsteps and run your next event for Sco...

Matt trained well and fundraised well and that means one thing - a day packed full of positive memories. While the heat added a few minutes onto his time it just didn't matter. He loved every part of his training and it all went perfectly to plan on the day. 

Here's Matt's Just Giving page if you'd like to make a donation.

If you'd like to follow in Matt's footsteps and run your next event for Scoliosis Support & Research, or y...

Michael only got his London Marathon entry from Kidney Research UK in January this year, but he still managed to raise over £3500 and have the day of his life at the London Marathon 2025. His sub 4 hour time capped off a great campaign, with some innovative fundraising ideas and lots of new friends made at his local running club.

Here's Michael's fundraising page if you'd like to sponsor him.

For more podcasts head to https://www.s...

Stephen had his fair share of injury challenges during his training, including a fall in a warm up event that led to badly bruised ribs and a bad knee that needed a cortisone injection a few days before the London Marathon...and there was the heat on race day. No worries, he still battled through to a great time and smashed his fundraising target!

Here's Stephen's Just Giving page if you'd like to make a donation.

If you'd like to ...

Riley is a fundraising superstar who developed a raffle that has helped him raise £4400 so far for Scoliosis Support & Research. Combine that with the day of his life in London on April 27 and watching his football team, Crystal Palace win an FA Cup Semi-Final the day before and this was a time in his life he will never forget.  

Here's Riley's Just Giving page if you'd like to make a donation.

If you'd like to follow in Riley'...

Lucy is one of the lucky few to get a ballot entry in the London Marathon 2025 and she made the most of it. Having undergone scoliosis surgery twice she wanted to raise funds for Scoliosis Support & Research and started with a target of £500. A few weeks later she has raised nearly five times that figure and had the day of her life on April 27. Listen to her marathon experiences.

Here's Lucy's Just Giving page if you'd like to ...

Jade's London Marathon 2025 training and fundraising has all gone to plan and even a bit of 'Runner's Knee' didn't hold her back. With £3400 already raised can she combine an unforgettable day with £4000 for Cornwall Hospice Care? If you missed Jade's early training and fundraising stories you can hear them on Episode 1.

Here's Jade's Just Giving page if you'd like to make a donation.

If you'd like to follow in Jade's footsteps an...

Sian's training had been going so well. She followed her training plan to the letter, run the hilly Run Falmouth Half Marathon in Cornwall, got to 16 miles on her long run and then it struck -  a knee twinge developed into the dreaded IT Band problem; 'Runner's Knee' as it's known. Will she able to get on to the start line in London?

For more podcasts head to https://www.sapphirerunningzone.com/podcasts. We have four channels, one ...