Runner Wants Marks Out of 10

25 OCT2011

Staffordshire runner John Dawson, who hit the headlines earlier this year by completing 10 marathons in 10 consecutive day, is seeking official recognition from Guinness World Records that his challenge constitutes an official world record. At the age of 73, John successfully finished the Brathay 10 in 10 in May but has yet to receive confirmation that he is the oldest person to have run ten marathons within the space of as many days.

Despite only taking up running in his fifties after a heart-attack forced him to take up a healthier lifestyle, John managed to complete one of the most challenging endurance challenges in the world. His impressive CV includes the 160k run across the Berlin Wall and the completion of over 360 marathons to date.

Whilst the majority of us would be happy to manage a spritely jog at the age of 73 - apart from Fauja Singh, perhaps - John was disappointed not to have finished the 10 in 10 with a quicker time, "For the last three days of the race I was in real pain and it felt like red hot knives were being constantly stabbed into my shins. At the time I felt I should have done better and I couldn't understand why I was struggling so much."

The pain, unfortunately, wasn't solely down to marathon fatigue as after a series of medical examinations, John was diagnosed with cancer. Although it was diagnosed early, the 73-year-old is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

Speaking of the pending confirmation, John reflected, "After putting my mind and body through so much pain I feel that I deserve to have my achievement recognised by Guinness World Records and, thanks to support from Brathay Trust, I'm confident that this will happen in the next couple of weeks."