Yahoo Finance Runner with Parkinson's tackles 35 marathons back-to-back
Next time your marathon training feels like an uphill struggle, channel the energy of Neil Russell, a 63-year-old living with Parkinson's. After nine months of relentless training amid winter weather and COVID-19 lockdowns, the triathlete and endurance runner is running the full 26.2-miles every single day for 35 days straight – and all in the name of charity.
Russell, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's at the age of 60, is thought to be the oldest person to attempt the 895-mile route stretching from John O'Groats to Land's End. He tackled the first marathon of the challenge in the far north of Scotland on July 18, and is set to log his final few miles in Cornwall on August 21. So far, Russell has raised more than £4,000 for Parkinson's UK – beating his initial target four times over.
The former art director decided to take on the mammoth challenge after completing an ultramarathon 18 months ago, and is striving to raise as much money as possible in the hope there will one day be a cure for Parkinson's – the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. 'It was my 61st birthday, and I thought that if I was ever going to do this run, now was the time,' Russell said. The training has been understandably tough.
'Every day I take a lot of medication, I feel sick, I struggle to control my hand tremors, it's hard to swallow, and I struggle to write or concentrate,' he continued. 'But instead of thinking of what I can't do with Parkinson's, I try to focus on what I can do. I can train, I can run, I can sweat, I get stronger, and my confidence grows. Every day, I tell myself, I'm going to run from John O'Groats to Land's End. Why? Because I still can.'
With support from his teammates at Bourton Road Runners, the father-of-two started preparing for the challenge in November last year, guided by coach James Williams. 'James is good at cutting through the nonsense of coaching and he's easy to understand,' Russell said. 'He's also big on recovery and rest, although getting quality sleep is difficult for me because of the tremors in my hand and that is part of the challenge.'
Running 35 marathons in 35 days is a tall order, but thankfully Russell won't be going it alone. His wife, Nicky, will be following the route in the family camper van, providing encouragement, morale, and – we hope – plenty of blister plasters. 'I'm seriously apprehensive, but I remain doggedly determined to complete it, to help find a cure for Parkinson's,' Russell said.
To donate to Neil Russell's challenge, visit JustGiving.
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