In the dark depths of the Coronavirus pandemic, a friend and I resolved to train like never before to give ourselves something to focus on in those strange times.

At the end of our four-month training plan, we ran two loops of a self-planned Half Marathon route around Salisbury, and it was a fantastic experience which saw us both set numerous PBs in the following weeks. Fast forward four years and whilst continuing to run regularly, I’ve struggled to find that same motivation to train hard and go to events. I enter the fantastic Salisbury Ten Mile Road Race each year, and that’s usually it.

However, a couple of years ago I joined the City of Salisbury Athletics & Running Club (CoSARC), and motivation has not been in short supply. https://www.salisbury-arc.org/ At our mid-weekly social running groups, I chat with people who’ve run marathons in Japan, Comrades in South Africa, ridiculous Ultras across the UK.

It all added up and encouraged me to commit to getting myself ready for a big challenge. Clarendon Marathon fits the bill perfectly. I’m looking forward to plenty of training adventures on the trails with fellow CoSARC runners before race day comes around on Sunday October 5th 2025!