Fit the first, school: pretty rotten at short distances, which were the main athletic form inflicted on us, but slightly less bad at longer distances. In the sixth form I discovered serious cross-country running (rather than the punishment runs on which we were sent when younger when the ground was too frozen for rugger or hockey).
Fit the second, 1985-1992-ish: not much running until I was around 30 (1985) when I ran sporadically while living in Stoke Newington; fatherhood put an end to this, my last competitive run being a 10k in Hornsey in 1991.
Fit the third, the present day: in autumn 2003, inspired by a friend's example, I discovered I could run on the downs above the University campuses.
Personal bests:
5k: 27:33, Bexhill, 2014
5k (parkrun): 25:58, Brighton & Hove, 2011
5 miles: 52:58, Friston Forest, 2014
10k: 45:25, Brighton 2005
10 miles:1:25:19, Mince Pie, 2004
Half Marathon: 1:42:23, Hastings 2006
20 miles: 3:24:46, Jog Shop, 2006
Marathon: 4:10:40, Isle of Wight, 2006
2004
Seaford Half Marathon, 6 June 2:00:15
Jog Shop Jog (20 miles) 29 August 4:09:33
Beachy Head Marathon 23 October 5:21:00
Seaford Striders Mince Pie Ten Mile 12 December 1:25:19
2005
Sussex Beacon Half Marathon 21 February 1:43:14
Hastings Half Marathon 13 March 1:45:05
Flora London Marathon 17 April 4:32:11
Seaford Half Marathon 5 June 2:07:36
Jog Shop Jog 16 October pulled up
Beachy Head Marathon 29 October 4:51:54
Brighton Reebok 10k 20 November 45:25
2006
Sussex Beacon Half Marathon 19 February 1:46:10
Hastings Half Marathon 12 March 1:42:23
Isle of Wight Marathon, 21 May 4:10:40
Seaford Half Marathon 4 June 1:58:03
Seaford 10K 18 June 49:18
Jog Shop Jog 15 October 3:24:46
Beachy Head Marathon 28 October 4:54
Brooks Brighton 10K 19 November 47:17
Mince Pie Ten Mile 10 December 1:28:20
2007
Sussex Beacon Half Marathon 18 February 1:49:45
Hastings Half Marathon 11 March 1:52:08
Neolithic Marathon 6 May 4:17:33
Seaford Half Marathon 3 June 2:10:08
Beachy Head Marathon 27 October 5:01:18
Brooks Brighton 10K 18 November 50:04
Mince Pie Ten Mile 9 December 1:33:31
2008
Sussex Beacon Half Marathon 17 February 1:59:09
Hastings Half Marathon 16 March 1:57:03
Flora London Marathon 13 April 4:28:12
Seaford Half Marathon 1 June 2:18:00
Seaford 10K 15 June 59:25
Firle 20K 28 September 2:06:52
Beachy Head Marathon 25 October 5:18:00
Brooks Brighton 10K 16 November 51:15
Mince Pie Ten Mile 7 December 1:35:39
2009
Eastbourne Half Marathon 1 March 2:01:53
Hastings Half Marathon 15 March 2:04:13
Flora London Marathon 26 April 5:01:05
Seaford Half Marathon 7 June 2:21:24
Bewl 15 Mile 5 July 2:45:53
Alfriston Festival Fun Run 6K 22 August 2009 30:04
Hove Prom 10k 20 September 2009 56:18
Lewes Downland Ten Mile 4 October 1:47:49
Brooks Brighton 10K 15 November 56:41
Christmas Pudding Dash 19 December 41:36
2010
Hastings Half Marathon 21 March 2:11:32
Lewes 10K 6 April 1:03:35
Seaford Half Marathon 6 June 2:33:02
Firle Half Marathon 26 September 2:20:20
Brooks Brighton 10K 21 November 54:30
2011
Brighton Marathon 10 April 4:46:52
Lewes 10K 25 April 54:43
Brighton Trailblazer 31 July 1:00:14
Lewes Downland 10 2 October 2:00:03
Crowborough 10K 6 November 1:01:32
Brooks Brighton 10K 20 November 56:23
2012
Eastbourne Half Marathon 4 March 2:13:33
Brighton Marathon 15 April 4:46:12
Rye Ten Mile 27 May 1:43:32
Petworth Park 10k 30 May 1:00:04
Seaford Half Marathon 3 June 2:38
Worthing 10k 6 June 56:25
John Faulds Hellingly 10k 9 September 1:04:35
Hove Prom 10k 16 September 58:09
Brooks Brighton 10k 19 November 57:43
Crowborough 10k 2 December 1:02:33
2013
Chichester Priory 10K 3 February 57:32
Hastings Half Marathon 24 March 2:24:33
Lewes 10k 1 April 1:03:57
Newick Will Page 10k 1:07:04
Brooks Brighton 10k 17 November 59:07
Crowborough 10k 1 December 1:04:33
2014
Heathfield 10K 22 June 1.05:03
Phoenix 10k 16 July 59:20
Bexhill 5k 30 July 27:33
Friston Forest 5 mile 2 August 52:58
Alfriston Water Meadows Fun Run 23 August 33:43
Newick Will Page 10k 24 August 1:01:35
King's Head Canter 25 August 27:54
Firle Half Marathon 14 September 2:29:53
Hove Prom 10k 21 September 56:41
Lewes Downland Ten Mile 5 October 1:57:44
Brooks Brighton 10k 16 November 57:43
Crowborough 10k 30 November 1:02:20
2015
Hastings Half Marathon 22 March 2:27:28
Lewes 10k 6 April 1:04:53
Haywards Heath Ten Mile 3 May 1:49:20
Rye Ten Mile 24 May 1:50:05
Bewl 15 5 July 3:19:11
Phoenix 10k 15 July 1:01:37
Hellingly 10k 13 September 1:01:55
Lewes Downland Ten Mile 4 October 2:07:59
Warren Hill Cross Country 18 October 51:31
Bexhill 5k 7 November 28:16
Brooks Brighton 10k, 15 November 58:24
Snape Wood Cross Country 22 November 59:08
New Place Farm Cross Country 13 December 55:00
2016
Sussex Cross Country Championships, 9 January (no official time)
Ashdown Forest Cross Country, 17 January 61:00
Sussex Masters Cross Country, 23 January 60:01
Pett Wood Cross Country, 21 February 58:37
Hastings Five Mile, 8 May 46:01
Horsham 10k, 15 May 57:52
Rye Ten Mile, 29 May 01:44:35
Seaford Martello Tower Rotary Triple Challenge Half Marathon, 12 June 2:45:53
Heathfield 10k, 26 June 1:03:44
Uckfield 10k, 10 July 1:07:11
Phoenix 10k, 15 July 1:01:06
Bexhill 5k, 27 July 27:45
Newick Will Page 10k, 28 August 1:02:54
King's Head Canter, 29 August 29:51
Hellingley 10k, 11 September 1:03:38
Hove Prom 10k, 18 September 1:00:08
Lewes Downland 10 mile, 2 October 1:58:20
Snape Wood Cross Country, 9 October 57:05
Warren Hill Cross Country, 13 November 49:15
Crowborough 10k, 27 November 1:04:13
New Place Farm Cross Country, 18 December 52:32
2017
Ashdown Forest Cross Country, 15 January 1:04:00
Heathfield Park Cross Country, 12 February 1:00:09
Brighton Half Marathon, 26 February 2:22:01
Seaford Triple Challenge (Half Marathon), 11 June 3:03:37
Bexhill 5k, 26 July 30:13.85
King's Head Canter, 28 August 29:08
Eridge Ten Mile Trail run, 10 September 2:37:04
Hove Prom 10k, 29 October 1:01:31
Warren Hill Cross Country, 12 November 53:36
Brighton 10k, 19 November 1:02:19
Downland Devil, 3 December 2:02:06
New Place Farm Cross Country, 16 December 57:57
2018
Blackcap Cross Country, 14 January 1:14:53
Heathfield Cross Country, 18 February 1:07:18
Brighton Half Marathon, 25 February 2:33:19
Pett Cross Country, 11 March 1:09:00
Lewes 10k, 2 April 1:13:09
Harbour to Marina 15 mile, 28 May 3:40:34
Bewl 15 mile, 1 July 3:37:30
Lewes Downland Ten, 7 October 2:11:50
Snape Wood Cross Country, 14 October 1:06:21
Beachy Head Marathon, 27 October 7:11:12
Blackcap Cross Country, 11 November 1:09:34
Brighton 10k, 18 November 1:00:51
Downland Devil, 2 December 2:05:08
Warren Hill Cross Country, 16 December 53:38
2019
East Grinstead Ten Mile, 4 May: 2:07:40
Haywards Heath Ten Mile, 5 May: 2:04:39
Burgess Hill 10k, 6 May: 1:12:47
Seaford Half Marathon, 12 May: 3:11:04
Heathfield 10k, 23 June: 1:13:51
Phoenix 10k, 10 July: 1:03:56
2020
Beachy Head 10k, 25 October: 1:17:02
Seaford Rotary 10k, 31 October: 1:32:41
Thames Hare and Hounds 68th Alumni Race (virtual), 12 December: 1:16:16
2021
King's Head Canter, 30 August: 36:27
2022
Brighton Half Marathon, 27 February: 3:05:11
King's Head Canter, 29 August: 35:42
Lewes Downland Five Mile, 2 October: 1:05
Rathfinny Christmas Run, 29 December: 1:42
2023
King's Head Canter, 28 August: 36:50
Lewes Downland Five, 1 October: 1:09:35
Crowborough 10k, 19 November: 1:21:51
Rathfinny Christmas run, 28 December: 1:36:41
2024
Newhaven 10k, 21 January: 1:18:32
King's Head Canter, 26 August: 36:07
Parkrun PBs:
Brighton and Hove (Hove Park), 31 December 2011: 25:58
Preston Park, 6 June 2015: 27:29
Hove Prom, 19 September 2015:26:58
Wimpole Park, 30 July 2016: 29:45
Bevendean Down, 8 October 2016: 30:42
Eastbourne, 1 April 2017: 27:02
Blandford Forum, 15 July 2017: 29:19
Peacehaven, 9 December 2017: 29:24
Weymouth, 23 July 2018: 30:31
Seaford Beach, 30 March 2019: 28:05
St Mary's, Bridport, 20 July 2019: 32:53
Storey's Field, 25 September 2021: 33:27
East Brighton, 9 December 2023: 38:06
Uckfield, 14 October 2023: 39:14
