Can you give us a little introduction about yourself?

My name is Steve Edwards, and I’m a 62-year-old multi-marathon runner. I started running in 1981 when I completed my first-ever marathon.

At the time, I was a naive 18-year-old who made every mistake in the book and vowed never to run again. Little did I know that day would change my life forever, and I’ve been a marathon runner ever since.

What inspired you to start running?

In 1981, I saw a poster for the first-ever Coventry Marathon in my hometown and thought, “Why not?” I was 18 at the time and hadn’t done any running since leaving school.

Back then, I hated running anything longer than 400 meters and would avoid cross-country at all costs. I had no idea how to prepare for a marathon, but I managed to finish in 3 hours and 38 minutes.

However, the aftermath was brutal—I couldn’t walk properly for several days and vowed never to do it again. Little did I know that my life was about to change forever!

What has kept you motivated to run marathons all these years?

Once I recovered from that first marathon, I quickly became hooked on running—especially running more marathons. I wanted not only to get faster but also to run as many marathons as I could.

In 1990, that drive led me to achieve a world record by becoming the youngest person to complete 100 official marathon races at the age of 28. From there, my focus shifted to setting multi-marathon records that no one had ever achieved before. It’s that ambition, combined with countless goals and targets, that has kept me motivated all these years.

At what point did you decide to aim for running 1000 marathons, and why?

Some time before setting my second world record in 1992 for running the most official marathons in a single year a total of (87) I was inspired by reading about an American athlete who had achieved a marathon world record by running 500 marathons in his lifetime, averaging just over 3 hours and 30 minutes.

At the time, I was 30 years old, already near 200 marathons, and averaging well under 3 hours and 30 minutes. So, I made it my lifetime ambition to try and break that record by 2012, my 50th birthday year. In November 2012, I succeeded in my quest, completing 500 marathons, all under 3 hours and 30 minutes, with an average finish time of 3 hours and 12 minutes.

Thinking my joints wouldn’t hold up for much longer, I planned to cut back and focus on shorter events. However, I still felt in good shape and was achieving respectable finish times, so I decided to carry on to 600 marathons.

That milestone came and went, so I kept going to 700. After that, people started talking about 1,000 marathons and the possibility of a world record for the fastest average finish time. I decided to go for it, knowing I’d regret it if I didn’t, and planned to achieve it by my 60th birthday in November 2022.

But no one could have foreseen the impact of COVID-19 and the lockdowns, which nearly wrecked everything. Long story short, I eventually regained my momentum and succeeded 18 months later than planned, in May 2024. If it hadn’t been for the COVID situation, I was on track to average under 3 hours and 20 minutes.

How does it feel to have completed your 1000th marathon and achieved such an incredible feat?

At the time, it was a mix of emotions – huge relief and massive jubilation, but also a sense of loss knowing that it was now over. Looking back six months later, I still don’t think it’s properly sunk in.

The enormity of running that many marathons with that average finish time over such a long period of my life is hard to grasp. The dedication, sacrifices, training, racing, and the effort to stay fit and healthy year after year for nearly four decades – I honestly still can’t comprehend how I managed to do it.

Beyond running your 1000th marathon – what has been your greatest achievement in sport?

The fastest 1,000 marathons world record has always been my lifetime ambition, but there have been many other achievements along the way.

Setting world records as the youngest person to run both 100 and 200 marathons, completing the most marathons in a year, and achieving the fastest time to run 10 marathons in 10 consecutive days were all memorable milestones.

However, from a longevity perspective, I think that 44 consecutive years of active marathon running (and still going) is something I could never have imagined when I first started. Long may it continue!

How important is running to your health and mental wellbeing?

I’m a big believer in good nutrition and weights/core strength training, all of which have played a crucial role in maintaining my longevity in the sport I love.

However, it’s the act of running itself that has had the greatest impact on my health and physical and mental well-being. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have discovered this lifestyle at a very early age and have never looked back.

For me, it’s the best medicine in the world, and I can only hope to keep running well into old age.

What advice would you give to someone considering pursuing masters sport?

Be patient and don’t put pressure on yourself to do too much too soon, especially if you haven’t been particularly active in other sports throughout your life. Start with a program like Couch to 5K and build from there.

Cross-training, core strength, and conditioning are also crucial for becoming a more efficient and durable runner. Most importantly, enjoy the journey.

There’s no rush to run long distances – your body needs time to adapt. Give it that time, and gradually, it will become fitter and stronger, hopefully without injury.