My Story

 

There is still time to help support Craig following his epic challenge where he took on 7 marathons in 7 days in support of The Pumping Marvellous Foundation? 

After an incredible week and a heroic show of indurance both mental and physical Craig sucessfully completed all seven marathons in the seven days even crossing the final finishing line in an amazing 5 hours and 53 minutes.

With thanks also going to his support team, Danny, Gaz and PM's own Kate who ran and rode alongside Craig over the seven days.  

Watch this space for our Marathon Man's Future Challenge's -What are they going to come up with next?

Any donations big or small would be gratefully received to help Craig and the team reach there target! Donations can be through this page, or you can use the simple GiveTap QR code below, for a speedy donation  :

Craig, from the University Hospital North Midlands Cardiac Rehabilitation Team, has set himself a challenge like no other - to complete 7 marathons in 7 days!

He will be starting with his first marathon on Sunday 22nd October 2023 at Pumping Marvellous HQ in Preston, Lancashire and finishing the week with the incredible Eryri- Snowdonia Marathon on Saturday 28th October 2023. 

Craig who works with Heart Failure Patients daily as an exercise physiologist, has embarked on this epic 7 day challenge to help raise awareness of the condition and to promote the charities ethos of positivity and living well with the condition.

He finds his job incredibly rewarding by helping people to achieve their goals, whether that be running a marathon or walking to the shops! Seeing other people succeed and overcome self-doubt and adversity is what drives him.

For those who know Craig, who competes in IRONMAN events for 'JUST FOR FUN' this isn't the first incredible fundraising event he has taken part in and once attempted to set a world record, which saw him riding an indoor bike for 9 and a half days!!!

Craig will be supported by a team of 3 incredible athletes, who all specialise in endurance events! They will be running or cycling alongside him each day and have generously taken a week out of their schedules for this fantastic fundraiser.

Please show your support and donate to help Craig reach his fundraising target or if you would like to cheer him on or even run/ ride part of the marathon routes with him any support you can give would be simply MARVELLOUS....

 

7 Day's- 7 Marathon's

Day 1- (22nd Oct)- Preston Guild Wheel - COMPLETED

The Guild Wheel is a 21 mile circular route around Preston that can be ridden/ walked or ran in any direction. 

Craig will be racking up the extra 5ish miles needed on the day by adding a couple of loops along the way!

The route is mainly off-road and traffic free, providing a scenic and safe cycling/ walking or running route. With easy access for anyone wanted to show their support on the day or join in and run/ walk/ ride sections of the Marathon distance...

The starting point/ meeting location will be PM HQ, Business First PR2 5BL

Day 2- (23rd Oct)- Newcastle-Under-Lyme - COMPLETED

Craig will be running the 26.2miles through Stoke-On-Trent and will be running past the Royal Stoke Hospital and Finishing at Stafford Hospital. Hopefully supported by some of the hospital staff and the UHNM cardiac rehab team who he works with.

The starting point has been chosen for the day and the run will begin at the Wallace Sports and Education Centre, Stoke-on-Trent ST2 8DU

Day 3- (24th Oct)- Chester - COMPLETED

The MBNA Chester Marathon route is the 3x winner of the UK's best marathon (with up to 5,000 runners a race day) and home to the England Athletics Age Group Masters Championships, with a route that passes all Chester's iconic landmarks, then heads out into the Cheshire & North Wales countryside, before returning along the banks of the River Dee.

The starting point/ meeting location will be The Little Roodee Car park CH1 1SL

 

Day 4- (25th Oct)- Shropshire - COMPLETED

Craig will be on familiar terrain with this one, as the route will see him completing 4 laps of the 'Run' component of Shropshire's 3 day Ironman Triathlon- Which Craig incidentally came FIRST in early this year!!!  Which is just mind-blowing...

The starting point/ meeting location will be The BoatHouse, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 8JQ

 

Day 5- (26th Oct)- Wrexham - COMPLETED

This route is around Wrexham Industrial Estate, the classic race is popular with some of the fastest runners in the region as well as those tackling the distance for the first time. With this being a half marathon route, Craig will not only run it once, but he'll give it a second lap !!!

The starting point will be Net World Sports, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham LL13 9UT

 

 

Day 6- (27th Oct)- North Wales Coastal Path Abergele to Llandudno - COMPLETED

Following cycle route 5 / the Welsh Coastal Path along the North Wales Coast. This route runs all the way to Rhos-on-sea. 

The route which is only 17miles means Craig will run from and to the pier at Llandudno and follow the coast to accrue as many miles needed to hit his 26.2 mile target finishing at Llandudno.

The starting point/ meeting location will be Llandudno Pier, LL30 2LP

Day 7- (28th Oct)- Snowdonia - the final marathon of this epic  challenge COMPLETED

Marathon Eryri has been voted Best British Marathon twice. The demanding and spectacular route which encircles Yr Wyddfa – the highest peak in Wales – has served to make this an iconic event in the running calendar and boi what a Marathon to finish on!!!...

MEET THE INCREDIBLE IRONMAN HIMSELF.... 

TRAINING UPDATE........ Craig has had another busy weekend and was in Wrexham, which will be where his 'Day 5' run will take place. Craig completed 10km in an impressive 47 minute !!

 

Another busy weekend for our ironman!...  When he's not taking part in Triathlons himself, he is also part of the events team and gives his time to help organise them. This weekend he was joined by a member of his own crew- Gaz and somehow even managed to sneak in a quick half marathon run whilst there..

A Message from Craig...

 

Team member Gaz joined Craig on a training run this week, with a 'cheeky' half marathon around the famous 'Potters Arf' route. This is a historic run which has been going since 1982, the Potters ‘Arf has been an iconic local event held every year in the heart of the Potteries, Stoke-on-Trent. Gaz will be running by Craig's side on at least a couple of the Marathons and will be finishing on a high alongside Craig with the Eryri- Snowdonia Marathon on day 7.

 

This weekend was a 'Recce' ride of Preston's Guild Wheel, which is the route for Day 1's run and just round the corner from PM HQ!

Craig was joined by Kate from the charity's office for the ride, and they only got lost once 😬!! Kate walked this route 2 years ago with everyone from the office, a heart failure patient and a couple of Cardiologist's for good measure as part of the virtual London Marathon.. (They also got lost!)

Kate and Nick from PM HQ as well as 3 incredible cardiologist who are big supporters of the charity will all be cycling alongside Craig and his crew on Day 1!

 

THOSE WHO TRAIN TOGETHER... FREEZE TOGETHER!!!

As part of his recovery Craig will be taking daily ice baths to help his muscles recover, in true 'taking one for the team' spirit! Liam has agreed he would suffer alongside Craig and will be enduring the icy dips in support...

 

 

This weekend's training was a little different and Craig swam a 'Marathon' rather than running one, accompanied by Danny he swam the length of Bala Lake, Llyn Tegid. An incredible 6.5km end to end in an impressive 2hours...

 

 

Nice to see Craig's Pumping Marvellous bobble hat was put to good use after the swim...

 

This weekend Craig and Gaz slowed down their pace to that of what Craig will be running during the 7 Marathons in 7 Days! Taking part in an Ironman triathlon which was unfortunately cut to a duathlon at the last minute. It was a hot one, with temperatures soring throughout the day, here's Craig letting us know how they got on.

 

A little update from Craig....

This weekend was another recce ride for Craig with Danny joining him to map out the route. This time it was for the Stoke to Stafford leg, which is Day 2's of the incredible 7 day event.

TRAINING UPDATE...

With only just over 5 weeks to go, Craig was up early this morning with a weight's session followed by an ice bath and then off to the gym to use the watt bike.... Final preparations for all the routes are under way and we will have starting points and finish lines to share with anyone wanting to come along on the day and show support.

 

KEEP PUSHING...

With the event getting closer Craig is hard at it at the gym again this morning, he opted to dodge the rain and train on a treadmill instead.

The sheer amount of drive and dedication Craig has is inspirational, he never has a day off!! Please help him reach his fundraising target..

 

Last night was a late-night run for Craig!! With just over 4 weeks to go until the big event preparations are in the last stages and the whole team behind Craig are starting to get excited. 

 

Craig has been getting acquainted with BEATIE our Marvellous campaign van who will be supporting him over the 7 days, if you see her driving around please show your support and give her a BEEP!!

 

It was an early start for Craig this morning with a run before work, with only just over 2 weeks to go before the first Marathon our incredible ironman isn't letting up on his training.

 

MEET CRAIG'S CREW...

Introducing 'Dynamo Danny'.... He hails from the highlands and is a mountain of a man, when he is not in the water he can often be found riding alongside Craig as his wingman.. He has years of riding experience and represented the charity taking part in RideLondon in 2022.

Meet Liam, he's our safety guy and will be keeping a close eye on Craig to make sure every run goes to plan, he was a keen triathlete himself who can often be found sporting a rather fetching pair of budgie smugglers, he's on the water at every opportunity whether that be competing in events or on his paddle board.

With thanks to our corporate sponsor CPC...

Who send this message "We are extremely proud to be supporting this epic challenge - good luck!"

CPC is one of the UK’s leading distributors of Electricals, Lighting, Tools, Computing and AV products. Based in Preston, CPC work closely with businesses, tradespeople and DIY enthusiasts of all types, providing a massive range of 100,000+ products and a friendly service that people love.

https://cpc.farnell.com

 

About the Pumping Marvellous Foundation

The Pumping Marvellous Foundation (PMF) is the UK's patient led Heart Failure charity, founded by a Heart Failure patient whose experiences shaped the goals and principles of improved patient outcomes.

About Heart Failure

Heart Failure is a life-threatening condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood around the body. It impacts all age groups.

• It affects approximately 1 million people in the UK and 64 million people worldwide.
• It is a chronic disease where around 50% of patients will die within five years of diagnosis.
• Heart Failure mortality risk is worse than some of the most common cancers (prostate, breast, and bladder cancer).
• It is the leading cause of hospitalisation for those over 65. It represents a significant clinical and economic burden.

 

About the BeatHF Campaign

The Pumping Marvellous Foundation has been running a national campaign to raise awareness to make heart failure clearer for everyone.

Breathless

Exhausted

Ankle Swelling

Time for a blood test

Let's #BeatHF together!