One man is on a mission to break a world record at the Maidstone Marathon in October.
The Maidstone Marathon and Half Marathon will be taking place on Sunday 16th October, with runners taking in the challenging lanes in and around the villages of Boughton Monchelsea, Loose and East Farleigh.
The event is being put on by local running and triathlon club, Maidstone Harriers, in partnership with organisers Nice Work.
Joining the field of runners will be “The Godfather of marathon running”, Steve Edwards who has an ambition to be one of the world’s fastest multi marathon runners. He has taken part in competitive marathon racing on average every 14 days for the last 28 years.
He is aiming to become the world record holder of running 1000 marathons in an average time of less than 3 hours and 20 minutes. He has chosen to run his 750th marathon at Maidstone, last running the Maidstone Marathon in 1991.
In his own words, Steve “was born with a deformed left hand”. He ran his first marathon in 1981 in Coventry and swore he’d never run another marathon again.
He later went on to become the first person in the world to run 500 official marathons all inside 3hrs 30 min.
Steve says: “Aside from the satisfaction of personal achievement , for me the greater reward has come from being able to put something back.”
Over the years Steve has raised £25,000 for charity. He goes on to say “with belief, hard work and dedication, ordinary everyday people can go on to achieve their ambitions and accomplish extraordinary things”.
Steve has recently published his biography, “The Man Inside the Machine” and will be doing book signings for anyone interested in buying a copy before the race.
The Maidstone Marathon and Half Marathon takes place on quiet country lanes, with runners’ safety being supported by medical cover from St. Johns Ambulance.
All finishers will receive a medal and free photos of their achievements from local Kent photographers Fast2Foto. A map of the route and entry details can be found at www.maidstoneharriers.co.uk
Up to 600 runners are expected to run the Maidstone Marathon and Half Marathon. The cut off for the marathon is 6 hours. The course is fully marshalled, with 50+ helpers out on the day, mostly members of the Maidstone Harriers themselves.
Maidstone Harriers will also be hosting the annual Christmas themed Turkey Run on 11th December 2016, starting at East Malling. Fancy dress is encouraged and entries are now open viawww.maidstoneharriers.co.uk