John Naylor
Brathay 10in10 Athlete
I am John, I am 43 and live in Wesham (part way between Preston and the Fylde coast) with my girlfriend and two dogs and will be running the Brathay 10 in 10 for the first time.
I am motivated to run this event as I have learnt of the fantastic work the Brathay Trust does to support children and young people in need. I only ran the Windermere marathon for the first time in 2023 and was inspired by the passion displayed by the volunteers, organisers and entrants in the 10 in 10 event.
I believe that fundraising challenges are best if they exactly that: challenging! I have run many marathons before, including multiday races, however I think this particular challenge will push me to the next level of difficulty.
I am passionate about all aspects of running. I enjoyed distance running as a teenager but came back to it in 2012 at the age of 31. Inspired by Preston being a European city of Sport that year and the upcoming Olympic games in London, I decided to enter the Greater Manchester marathon. On the back of a limited training plan I’d devised, I got around the course in 03:49:48. I ran another marathon that year (Preston Guild), 3 the following year, 4 in 2014, 8 in 2015 (including my first 2in2) and things escalated from there. I had completed my 100th marathon in November 2019. Over the course of that time, I competed in a wide variety of events – joining a running club got me participating in fell, trail and cross country races as well as the road racing. In 2016, I ran the Berlin Marathon and followed that the next year with my PB time at the London Marathon of 3:14:27. In the summer of that year, I ran my first 7in7 event (the Salwick Scorcher), averaging 3:33:48 for 7 marathons, finishing 2nd overall. I went back to complete the 7in7 the following year and won overall, but with a slower average time. In 2019 the event had transformed into a 10in10, which I completed and won, although I picked up an injury on the last day and was determined to finish despite a lot of pain. Otherwise, I have won 3 single day marathon events, finished 2nd and 3rd in trail 5in5 marathons and managed podium finishes on various other races. I’m currently (Aug 2023) on 115 marathon finishes, 52 of which completed under 4 hours and the average of my 100 best is 3:57:44.
Aside from running, I like to give something back, either by way of volunteering, marshalling races, offering advice to others or raising money for good causes. With the Brathay 10in10 I’m hopeful that I will be able to support a fantastic charity that is the Brathay Trust and possibly inspire others to do so in future years.
Experience
- OVER 100 MARATHONS COMPLETED!