Steve Hits 500

Steve Edwards runs his 500th Marathon in Connemara

Steve's running career officially started in 1981, when at the age of 18, he ran his first ever road race, the inaugural Coventry Marathon. However it wasn't until 1988 that he started running marathons seriously, such that in 1990, at the age of 28, he became the youngest athlete in the world to run 100 marathons. Less than two years later, aged just 29, he passed the 200 marathon landmark, again the youngest athlete ever to do so. It was also in 1992 that he broke the world record for running the most marathons in a one year period, a total of 87, which smashed the previous recognised record of 74 marathons. Chasing this record took him to 13 countries and his finishing times averaged an incredible 3hrs 14min, over an hour quicker than the previous record holder.

Marathon running has taken him to 25 countries in all, not to mention the length and breadth of the British Isles, from the Isles of Scilly to the Outer Hebrides, some 60 counties all told. With a personal best time of 2hrs 51min, 121 sub 3:10s and 212 sub 3:15s to his name, the statistics show that he's not only one of the UK's leading serial marathon runners but arguably one of the most prolific in the world.

Steve has on many occasions run marathons on consecutive days, however in May 2009, he recorded yet another world best by becoming the fastest vet category athlete to run 10 marathons in 10 days. His combined time of 33hrs 16min at the 'Brathay 10 in 10 Challenge' smashed his own world record set just 12 months earlier by well over two hours as he averaged 3hrs 19min for each marathon over the 10 consecutive days. Equally remarkable was that all 10 finish times were sub 3hrs 30min on the same Windermere course, reputed to be one of the toughest UKA certified marathons in Britain.

On a personal basis, Steve comments that 'running has not only been rewarding in terms of personal achievement, but has also been a great opportunity to put something back'. Over the years, his dedication in supporting and competing in marathon races has not only helped contribute to the grass roots of the sport, but also benefited many charities. He also feels that his achievements as a non elite athlete are incredibly inspirational, as he shows that with some dedication, ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things.

Now pause for a moment, imagine what this lifetime challenge actually entails. On top of holding down a full time job, Steve trains every day, sometimes twice a day, every week, every month, every year. Keeping himself at the peak of physical fitness such that he is able to run a 26.2 mile race every 17 days for 24 years at around 7min 30sec per mile pace! To be on course for achieving it with an average finish time of around 3hrs 15min is quite astonishing given the short recovery period between marathons and the opportunities for injury or even illness over such a long period of one's life. Consider the discipline, commitment and sheer dedication that is required, little wonder that no-body so far has managed to accomplish such a feat.

On April 11th, we witnessed what was simply an incredible and indeed unique achievement.