Running a marathon in itself is an impressive challenge. But to do this distance 7 times, over 7 days, pretty much as a solo effort… this really is an incredible test of the body, both physically and mentally. With no crowds to cheer him on, and no aid stations, this has been quite a journey for our local Leeds Dock Runner. A huge well done from Run Leeds Ian, what an achievement!

This is Ian’s story of how he ran 7 marathons in 7 days…

 

Written by Ian Pearson

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Just over two years ago, in the summer of 2021, I decided to take up running. I wanted to get a bit fitter and thought that going on a few runs would be a good place to start. My friend told me about doing a “couch to 5k”, and without fully understanding the concept, I took it literally and my first ever run was the full 5km. It hurt like hell, and I didn’t enjoy it at all, but a few days later I strangely decided to do it again.

My running career grew from there. I joined some local clubs, did my first ever 10k, and soon realised that I really enjoyed the freedom that going out on a run can bring. Being able to get outdoors in the fresh air and explore new routes was really appealing to me, alongside the social aspect of running with a group. I soon elevated to running my first half-marathon distance, then a few months later it was onto my first marathon. Then, at the start of this year, an ultra-marathon.

Whenever I achieve one goal my brain moves straight onto the next challenge, as I’m always looking to push myself further and achieve more. A few months ago, I completed a track marathon – 106 laps of the John Charles athletics track in South Leeds, and since then I’ve been contemplating what to do next. That’s when I came up with the idea of running a marathon every day for a week. I thought it would be a good test of my endurance over multiple days, and after a lot of planning and preparation, the time to start had finally arrived.

Any day usually begins as soon as you wake up, but for me it had already gone wrong as I couldn’t sleep at all. My head was spinning and something inside me was very fearful and nervous about what lay ahead. I was essentially going into the unknown as my highest weekly running distance before this point has been around 120km. This week would be nearly three times as much, and I was anxious about how my body and mind would cope with that. But there wasn’t time to think or worry anymore, as first day had already begun.

Day 1 

The first day started on Monday morning in Blackpool. The last of the weekend revellers were slowly making their way back towards the coach station as I was jogging past just starting off on my own long journey. My route for this first marathon was a simple out & back heading up the coastal path towards Fleetwood, before looping back around into Blackpool itself. The sound of waves crashing against the sea wall kept me company, along with the sight of the famous Blackpool Tower getting larger on the horizon as I headed back down into town. Towards the end I ran past an old couple who noticed I was wearing my Run Leeds T-shirt, which led them to ask what I was doing. When I explained my 7in7 marathon challenge their shocked faces said it all, but they eventually smiled and wished me the best of luck for the week ahead. Finishing the marathon on Blackpool seafront my legs felt very tired, and I could already tell my body would have to get used to running longer distances again. However, I’d made it, and the first day was complete. 26.7mi

 

Day 2

For the second day I was back in Leeds. I headed out along the riverside towards Woodlesford and Rothwell, before looping around and back towards the city. I’ve done this route good few times before and really enjoy it. On the way back I joined up with some of my teammates from South Leeds Lakers running club for the final quarter of the run. This really helped boost my motivation and kept me feeling positive as I was able to chat with them and have a laugh together for the final few miles. Whilst mentally I was still feeling good, my legs and feet were even more tired now and I convinced myself that it was the fault of the shoes I was wearing. Another day down, but still a long way to go. 26.6mi / 53.3mi

 

Day 3

The third day and I’m now wearing a different pair of shoes! They’re the same make, model, and size as my last ones, but I’m strangely less paranoid about this pair because they’re a different colour. A very minor detail, but I’m the sort of runner where a tiny little thing can really annoy me. For this day I’m also on my travels again across the border to Liverpool. I headed out past the docks and the famous Liver building and up the coast towards Crosby. I ended up running along the beach and beside the well-known ‘Another Place’ sculptures. I found these fascinating, and it actually made the run go a lot quicker as I was more focusing on the scenery and less on my increasingly aching legs. Another out and back route which came to a fitting end when I hit the marathon mark approaching Anfield Stadium – the home of my favourite football team Liverpool FC. Mentally this was a really high point for me, and I was feeling great. Three down now. 26.5mi / 79.8mi

 

Day 4

The fourth day of the week and I’m now at the opposite side of the country in Hull. I’d come here for one reason only, to run across the Humber Bridge. I’d cycled across it back in 2020 with a few friends, and the thought of running across as part of a marathon seemed very appealing – when I was sat at home thinking about it that is. Unfortunately, this excitement was quickly replaced by fear as I started making my way across the structure and the huge drop below into the estuary. I felt genuinely scared. So scared in fact that I forgot all about my tired body and legs, as all I was focused on was making it across safely. When I eventually did make it over the bridge, a short loop around Barton-upon-Humber made up my total distance for the day. With all the adrenaline still pumping from going across the bridge I didn’t pay much attention to how my body felt, my legs were very painful at this point, but mentally I still felt pretty good. I was over halfway through now, and the end was slowly coming into sight. There were only a few days left, and for the first time all week I felt like I’d be able to easily finish the challenge… but oh how wrong I was! 26.5mi / 106.3mi

Day 5

Up until this point in the journey, my mental health had remained very positive throughout. I was really enjoying running all these different routes and starting the fifth day near Bolton Abbey in the Yorkshire Dales added to that. The sun was shining, and I had the quiet country lanes all to myself as I jogged back down the valley through Addingham and towards Ilkley. The target for the day was to make it back home to Leeds, and for the first few hours I was setting a good pace and feeling very strong. In fact, this was a real high point as I was feeling so positive. It was one of the most enjoyable runs I’d ever done… and then, well, it wasn’t.

As I’m writing this now over a week later, I’m still finding it very difficult to describe exactly what happened halfway through day five. I just stopped – it was quite surreal. I’d gone from feeling really positive to suffering a sudden mental and physical blockage. I could barely walk a few yards, let alone run. I felt so sick, I wanted to vomit, I was in awful pain, and just wanted to go home. Just outside Ilkley I stopped and weighed up the whole situation in my head, and it was in these moments that I made the decision that would shape the rest of the week.

See, I’ve given up on a lot of things in my life. I’ve failed and let people down, I’m a professional at it. But as I was stood there at the side of the road, a voice came into my head told me to keep going and not give up. I took a few steps, then a few more steps. Yard after yard, mile after mile, I walked, jogged, and ran back towards Leeds. Every minute that passed my motivation getting higher, my determination to finish growing stronger, and then Leeds city centre came into sight. I knew I’d got through it, and was going to finish. That feeling is irreplicable. I felt superhuman, the best I’d ever felt, and with two miles to go I pulled the pin physically, sprinted for home, and set two of my fastest miles ever – at the end of five marathons in a row! Arriving back, I knew that if I could get through that, then I could get through anything. I was on top of the world. The best and worst run of my life, but I knew at this point that the whole week was already in the bag. 26.8mi / 133.1mi

Day 6 – For the sixth day I decided that keeping things simple was the best way forward. After all the travelling of the previous few days I was feeling tired and wanted to stay closer to home. I headed out once again on the Leeds to Woodlesford river route that I’d previously done on day two. I know this area like the back of my hand, I know exactly how to pace it, and having that comfort zone really helps when you’re this far into the challenge. At this stage my legs and feet were very sore, and mentally, I was still feeling the emotional fatigue of the previous few days. Halfway through, I knew that I was mentally drained, and the tiredness did start to overwhelm me. I made it to around three quarters in, and my pace started to drop. I knew that unlike day two, this time I wouldn’t have any teammates there to help me out for the last part. That was until I turned the very next corner and literally ran straight past one of them!

I’m a strong believer in fate, and just at the point I was beginning to struggle one of my teammates was there on her afternoon run. We teamed up and finished the last few miles together, sharing motivational messages and stories from the week. It was a very unplanned, but heart-warming moment and made the final quarter of the run fly by. Again, I’d finished on a real high, and now with just one marathon remaining, the end was very much in sight. 26.4mi / 159.5mi

Day 7 – The final day was here, and the most bizarre thing had happened… For the first time all week my legs felt absolutely fine! I’d also slept really well, and all the nervousness and tiredness that had been building throughout the week had seemingly gone. It’s like my body had worked so hard all week, and for the final day had decided that I could just enjoy it. I felt great! I headed out early Sunday morning for a planned meetup with some of my teammates from Leeds Dock Running Club. A group of five of us headed out to complete the final marathon distance together. For me it was such a blessing, as I’d done a lot of running on my own all week, so to finally have a group of friends who I could chat to made this final leg of the journey sail by. We jogged together out along the canal, quickly racking up mile after mile, before heading back down to the Dock. At this point physically I was feeling the best I’d felt all week, no pain, no nerves, I was able to live in the moment and thoroughly enjoy the final few miles. Finishing the weeklong journey with my run club teammates felt very special, and I can’t thank them enough for their incredible support.

It was done. 7in7 marathons was complete. 28.4mi / 187.9mi

 

So far, I’ve told you all about my week of running, the how and where, but I haven’t actually explained why. Why did I decide to take on such a challenge?

Well, this whole article has been an open letter to the hero in life – my Mum. She was a single parent, and throughout my whole childhood she sacrificed so much for me. See we never had it easy, we’re from a run-down council estate, had no money, and no prospects. Life was a struggle. I had to go to the child minders after school, as my Mum would be working long hours every single day just to make ends meet and put food on our table. Every last penny she had she would spend on me. She grafted and gave up on her own goals, dreams, and aspirations to raise me and give me the best chances in life. You don’t realise growing up just how much your parents do for you, but as I’ve got older, I’ve fully understood just what my Mum gave for me. She gave her life.

The reason I decided to run 7 marathons in 7 days wasn’t for me, it was to say thank you to my Mum for everything she’s done. It was to make her proud. When I was stood there at the side of the road on day five, ready to give up and quit, it was her voice that I heard. She was the one who told me to carry on and to not give up. She’s always been there for me, and she’s the strongest and bravest person that I know. I can never repay everything she’s done for me, but Mum, I hope that in achieving this I’ve somewhat made you proud.

The final thing I want to mention is that you really can achieve anything you want to in life. I only started running two years ago, so trust me when I say that if you work hard and believe in yourself then you can accomplish anything. Is it one day, or day one, only you can decide that. Whatever your goal or dream is in life, just go for it, and promise me one thing… Don’t listen to the voice in your head that tells you that you can’t. Listen to the one that tells you that you can!

 

Thanks for sharing your incredible story with Run Leeds Ian. Can’t wait to hear what your next challenge is!