The strength of our London Marathon 2020 Team stems from their determination and everyone encouraging each other.
Every week, we’ve watched our London Marathon runners progress and applaud them for their incredible achievements. Nigel Lloyd, who is our Training Support Volunteer champions this message and is always there to offer the team friendly and professional advice. Nigel has competed in 18 marathons and is founder of Warley Woods Pacers running club so he can help others achieve their running goals. Take a moment to read Nigel’s story to understand how running has opened doors.
Nigel’s Story:
Running has not only been a passion of mine for the past, now on, forty years. It has been my best friend. My companion, my training buddy. My life in running, can be described as a rollercoaster, which has taken me on a journey through good times, bad times. It has opened doors, and taken me to places, and situations, that I never thought that I would find myself. Running, and athletics, have been my life, an experience that is priceless.
It was in 1989, that I ran my first marathon. It was three hours, fifty-six minutes later, when I crossed the finish line on Westminster Bridge, sat down and burst into tears of joy and fulfilment. This was the first of eighteen marathons that I would run, each individual, each as unique. The most memorable, and the most life changing would be run in 2002, as I entered the final mile, on Birdcage walk. There was a runner on the floor, and another struggling to get him back to his feet. For some, still unexplainable, moment, I stopped, and helped get the stricken runner back to his feet. We carried him painfully over that final mile to the finish line, where paramedics, quickly whisked him away.
This was a defining moment. The injured runner had suffered a fractured femur, and our heroic efforts, appeared on television and the media. I had become a ‘marathon hero’. They say that life begins at forty, and this was crowning moment, where I felt it was time to put something back into the sport, and this still remains my mindset to this day. I have volunteered in supporting marathon runners for a major charity, and that continues today, supporting the runners of Round Table Children’s Wish, I have developed my coaching side. In 2017, I took a big step, and founded a small local running group, which quickly, flourished, into a fully-fledged running club, Warley Woods Pacers, which I chaired for twelve years.
My running career, has been fulfilling, from my apprenticeship with my original club Halesowen AC, until today, where my philosophy is to inspire, motivate and mentor, and share my knowledge, and experience, so that my fellow runners, can improve and go on and achieve their goals, as I have done with mine.
Quote
‘It’s not what you do…? It’s how you do it…?’
About the group
The marathon is not only about the day itself; it is about the journey that gets you to the finish line. This is the fantastic thing, about the amazing group of runners that we have. We share in each other’s journey to the finish line. By sharing, the experience, it can help motivate and inspire each and everyone, the knowledge that, you are not alone in that journey, makes this group unique.
Having a reason, is also important in motivating us. Running for such a great cause, with the knowledge, that our efforts are going to help the quality of life, for someone less fortunate, makes this journey all the more, memorable, and one to share with, not only the group, but friends and family, a like.
Advise
My advice to any runner would be to train and run within their own ability. Have a defined goal, either an event, or fitness aspiration, and be disciplined, in their approach to training, and achieving their objective. Have a balanced training approach, equal rest and recovery, to equal effort.
Round Table Children’s Wish are truly grateful to have a volunteer like Nigel support our inspiring London Marathon runners. Thank you to everyone involved in the London Marathon you help make wishes come true for children with life-threatening illnesses.
