I’m a Brummie born, Cambridge-based distance runner who runs like the karate kid, and you may remember me from such races as, the Cambridge Half Marathon. The goal of these blogs will be to document my planned journey to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022. 

My running journey started on the streets of Birmingham and will hopefully finish there, with the most important 26.2 miles of my life. So far. To start with I want to share a little bit about myself, my background and why I’ve chosen the marathon.

Where it all began

I grew up in South Birmingham, under the shadow of an icon of British industry: the now demolished MG Rover Plant; a site that once employed 25,000 people. As a typical feral boy, I spent most of my time ‘playing out’ on the streets, or at the park with a football. However, my Dad, Richard, introduced me to the idea of running around in circles, from an early age.

I joined my first running club, my beloved Birmingham Rowheath (now BRAT), when I was 10 or 11, enjoying everything from high jump to 800m. The emphasis placed on diversity and camaraderie, I believe, was hugely influential on my love for, and subsequent success in, the sport. For that reason, I firmly support the continued exposure of our junior athletes to as many athletic disciplines and team sports as possible. 

Top Tip: Any parents out there, push your kids towards sprints, relays, throws and middle distances. The more variety the better. 

Success as a junior

Personally, I enjoyed relative success as a junior, with multiple English Schools and National medals over 3000m. I was coached by Nick Price, who spent most of his time holding me back and stopping me burning out. Next came four enjoyable years at the University of Birmingham, which were decorated with individual and team British University Championships (BUCS) medals, an England Cross Country vest, and a first-class undergraduate degree in geography, which was followed by a Masters of Research.

However, after years of tussling with an intense exercise-induced stitch pain (caused by Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome), under achieving in races was becoming more common, and ever more heart-breaking, despite having traumatic surgery in 2012.

At this point, I had started to believe a consultant’s earlier prognosis that “You’ll probably never be able to run at the level you think you’re capable of” and I, for all intents and purposes, ‘quit running’

It nearly all ended there

The summer after I submitted my thesis was one of reverie, featuring non-stop raving and festivals; but then a change of scene, a new job and a new city, Cambridge… and in many ways, it could not have been further from home.

Fresh to Cambridge, and with no connections outside of work, I headed down to the local athletics club, Cambridge Coleridge AC. On a dark and windy winters night, I rocked up at a training session and bumped into Mark Vile, a true character who has moulded Cambridge and Coleridge into a force to be reckoned with in distance running. 

After some subtle interrogation, and an anecdote about the u17 National Cross Country in 1864, Mark reliably informed me “you’ll be training with our group”. It was from here, that with fresh surroundings, a very relaxed mental outlook, and loads of fast juniors to keep me on my toes, that my athletics revival began, and my love for the support was rekindled. 

Top Tip: We train because we love the feeling that running gives us, the friendships it brings and the successes it can yield; the day running becomes a chore, a restriction or a burden to our lives, is the day we need to question when our liberating hobby, became a cage.

The Dream

December 21st, 2017 marked the day a dream began.

After a year of feeling my way back into running, and enjoying some unexpected success with my new club, Cambridge and Coleridge, I was presented with a watershed moment.

True to form, Birmingham was backing something big, bold and radical, but perhaps a little risky: we’d stepped in to host the Commonwealth Games 2022.  

And, perhaps seduced into a hazy nostalgia by my glass of wine, on Christmas Day 2017 I decided I wanted to be there, and not as a spectator.

Groundbreaking preparations for Birmingham 2022

The Marathon

But why did I make the decision to choose, arguably, the most unforgiving athletic discipline of all them all? 

Well, I do make a habit of enduring pain, or perhaps seeking it out, in my running, as anyone who has watched me race will testify. But, I think, it’s this doggedness and determination that makes me most suited to the marathon.

Indeed, I am a rarely the quickest or smoothest runner in the field, but when I toe that line, my competitors know I’ll be there, karate chopping unerringly towards the finish line.

The plan

Unusually for sporting goals, I had time on my side, four and a half years to be precise. Therefore, I decided to split these 4.5 years into three 18 months cycles, which for entertainment purposes, and somewhat morbidly, I named The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. 

The Good: January 2018 to July 2019

Why the Good? The good is a time in which I have gradually increased my weekly mileage from 35 to 60 miles, and increased the intensity and duration of key workouts, increasingly focusing on tempo work. However, I still largely stuck to 5k and 10k races. 

As a result, I have become quicker and stronger and my results have been beyond what I could have expected.

The good: culminating in a Great Britain vest in the European 10,000m Cup

The Bad: August 2019 to January 2021

Why the bad? The bad, because now is the time to start adapting my training into that of a marathon runner. The time for talk is over, the action starts here.

I have four major goals in this period:

• Valencia Half Marathon
• National Cross Country Championships 
• The World Half Marathon Championships; and
• An Autumn Marathon TBC

Please keep your eyes peeled for my next feature, in which I will report back on my training in ‘the bad’.

The Ugly: January 2021 to September 2022

Why the ugly: you’re not a 5k runner anymore, and you shan’t train like one. 

This phase will be do or die, I’ll have tasted a slice of the 26.2 cake and now I’ll need to run a quick one. Time to enter full marathon mode.

I’ll have three major goals in this period.

• Autumn Marathon: Commonwealth qualifying time
• London Marathon
• Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022

Next up

In his next instalment, Jack discusses his ongoing transformation into a Marathon runner, and unlike a Gok Wan makeover, this is going to take a little more than a fitted pair of jeans…

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The post The Road to Birmingham: the long way home appeared first on Fast Running.

The stadium’s capacity will increase from 12,700 to 40,000 for the Games, and will retain 20,000 permanent seats after the event.

Alexander Stadium, which hosts an annual Diamond League meet and is the home of UK Athletics, was opened in 1976, and the redevelopment will see the venue become the UK’s largest permanent athletics stadium outside of the capital London.

The revamped stadium will also include new community sports facilities within the new stand, a permanent warm-up track and a new conference meeting space created to host business and cultural events after the Games.

Prime Minister Theresa May, who will announce the investment on Wednesday during a visit to to the city, said: “Birmingham’s dynamism, diversity and ambition capture exactly what it is to be part of the Commonwealth and I’m sure that in four years’ time, the people of this city will host an incredible event which showcases the very best of Britain to the world.

“The investment I am announcing today will transform the stadium into a state-of-the-art facility benefiting the local community and the region well beyond 2022.”

The Midland’s city was chosen ahead of Liverpool as Britain’s candidate city in September and as the only host bid submitted by the September deadline, it was widely expected that Birmingham would be awarded the Games.

However, the Commonwealth Games Federation initially said the city’s bid was “not fully compliant” and encouraged further bids from other cities who had expressed an interest.

After two months no competing bids were lodged, and Birmingham was confirmed as the host of the 2022 Games in December. It is anticipated that Games will cost £750 million, with the majority of costs being met by the government.

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Louise Martin, Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president, made the announcement at the Arena Academy school in the city today.

“We warmly congratulate Birmingham and England on today’s announcement – it is a defining moment for this truly Commonwealth city,” Martin said. “With its rich history, cultural diversity, youthful dynamism and ambitious spirit, Birmingham embodies all that we cherish about the Commonwealth.”

The upcoming Commonwealth Games take place next year on the Gold Coast in Australia. Glasgow was the UK city to host the event in 2014 and the last time the Games were held in England, was Manchester in 2002.

The 2022 Birmingham Games are earmarked to take place between July 27 and August 7.

The Midland’s city, whose bid includes the refurbishment of Alexander Stadium, was chosen ahead of Liverpool as Britain’s candidate city in September.

As the only host bid submitted by the September deadline, it was widely expected that Birmingham would be awarded the Games, but the CGF initially said the city’s bid was “not fully compliant” and encouraged further bids from other cities who had expressed an interest.

However, after two months no competing bids were lodged, and Birmingham has now been approved.

It is anticipated that Games will cost £750 million, with the majority of costs being met by the government.

“The UK has a brilliant track record for putting on the biggest sports events in the world and it is great news that Birmingham has been selected to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games,” said Sports Minister Tracey Crouch.

“I am sure that we will put on an event that will make the country proud, leave a strong sporting legacy and strengthen relationships with our friends across the Commonwealth.”

The refurbishment and upgrades to Alexander Stadium, the home of UK Athletics and host of an annual Diamond League meet can now begin.

Plans include a permanent stadium capacity increase to 25,000, which would rise to between 40,000 and 45,000 with temporary seating for the Games, and also four indoor arenas.

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Despite Birmingham being the only city bidding to host the event in 2020, the Commonwealth Games Federation said it would extend the original deadline 30 September deadline by a further two months hoping to encourage a challenging bid.

The UK government recently gave Birmingham’s 2022 bid it’s full support after the city was chosen ahead of the Liverpool bid, and pledged to provide substantial funding towards the Games.

Before last month’s original deadline, rival bids had been anticipated from Malaysian city Kuala Lumpur, and Canada’s Victoria but none came to fruition.

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Louise Martin said: “We have carefully reviewed the bids and updates received as part of the ongoing 2022 candidate city process and have agreed – noting the challenging timescales and no fully compliant bid – that further time should be given to all interested parties to enable the submission of fully compliant proposals.”

Martin did not say what the concerns were with Birmingham’s bid, but the governing body is believed to be asking for more details on government and local council’s support, including the proposed athletes’ village.

“We are confident that Birmingham’s bid demonstrates that the city has the ability to stage a fantastic Commonwealth Games in 2022,” said Commonwealth Games England, chief executive, Paul Blanchard.

“It was a huge effort to put such a comprehensive bid together in such a short timescale. We’ve always said that even though Birmingham was the only city to submit a bid there would still be a few hurdles to clear before a decision was made on formally awarding the Games,” he added.

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