We spoke to Hugh Williams-Preece while he was running his 48th marathon in 48 days.
On Sunday 19th April, Hugh Williams-Preece ran the Brighton marathon in 3 hours and 50 minutes. No big deal, you might think, the winner finished in just under 2:20. It’s just that Hugh had run a marathon every day for the preceding 46 days as part of his quest to run from Lisbon to London in 50 days.
Hugh’s epic journey began on 3 March and has been “incredibly inspirational” with many more highs than lows.
“Just finishing each day was amazing and it got better as I went along as my confidence increased that I could complete this challenge,” he says.
Things that have made Hugh’s mission particularly satisfying include the hundreds of messages of support he’s received. A number of people say Hugh has inspired them to take up running and one has volunteered to work for the Marie Curie Cancer Care at weekends.
“The main aim of this venture has been to raise funds for Marie Curie, so the fact that someone has been inspired to volunteer their time for the charity is fantastic.”
One of Hugh’s best moments was racing the Brighton marathon. It was the first ‘official’ marathon he’s ever done. He loved the atmosphere and support from the crowds.
But he’s had his low points too. “The worst was going the wrong way and climbing 4000ft up a mountain in Northern Spain.” He’s also never got used to the daily routine of ice baths although he’s found them invaluable in keeping him injury free. Other than that, he rates the first day as probably the worst.
“My knee started hurting – a recurrence of an old injury – and I feared it was going to derail the whole project. Plus I’d been working flat out prior to starting and was exhausted. Luckily the knee pain disappeared after about three days, the team really came together and have been unbelievably supportive, and I’ve just felt fitter and stronger as I’ve progressed.”
In fact, the only time Hugh thought he might have to quit was two weeks before the start. He’d had a succession of running related injuries and his physiotherapy team reckoned he wouldn’t last more than two days if he attempted running. “I had acupuncture and a million massages, and I retained my cardio fitness by running in a swimming pool so that I could make it to the start line.”
Hugh on the road
Once on the road, Hugh took great care of his legs through using bespoke insoles from Profeet, rotating his shoes, daily massage, different strapping techniques (to rest and activate different muscles) and the dreaded ice baths. “I guess I’ve also been fairly lucky,” he adds.
He’s also been supported by Optimum Nutrition who supplied him with a range of protein and carbohydrate products to aid his performance and recovery each day. “These supplements have been a vital part of my daily routine,” he says.
Of course, some stretches were worse than others. To keep himself going, Hugh would think about all the people supporting him, listen to music (Sony provided him with a Walkman) or simply eat. He also reminds himself that he could either be out there running and free or tied up behind his office back home.
Has the experience changed him?
“Yes, definitely,” says Hugh. “Doing this has massively boosted my confidence in my ability to achieve big goals. I’ve also learned to enjoy my own company a whole lot more than I used to.”
Believe it or not, Hugh didn’t particularly like running before he started, although he appreciated the benefits. Over the past 48 days he’s come to love it. He also thinks he’s become a more efficient runner and he’s discovered he’s quite competitive. “I got a real buzz out of being able to pick up the pace and overtake people in the last 8 miles of the Brighton marathon. I feel like I’ve become a sort of running machine.”
Perhaps the biggest thing Hugh has come to appreciate is the importance of team work. “Matt Pain, my operations manager, and Samia Gomez, my sports therapist, have been absolutely incredible, as has everyone else involved. I simply couldn’t have done this without them.”
To find out more about Hugh’s run or to join him on his final marathon in London on 21 April, see his website at www.50in50.co.uk.
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