Ian Fitch London 2026

Sunday 26 April 2026 I will hopefully be running the London Marathon once again. Very fortunate and humble to have the opportunity to support a great Charity.

My first London Marathon was in 2005. So some 21 years on, I go again. My challenge is to improve on my time. 

Back pain is one of the most common conditions that people live with. The vast majority of us are likely to be affected by back pain at some point in our lives. For most it will be a short-lived experience but for others back pain is ongoing and affects quality of life, making ordinary daily tasks difficult or at worst simply impossible to perform. Chronic back pain can result in depression, low self esteem, unemployment, the breakdown of relationships and more.

BackCare provides information and education to prevent back injury from occurring in the first place and also assists with research projects trying to identify the reasons for chronic low back pain. However, whilst prevention is better than cure, BackCare also understands that not all back pain is avoidable. BackCare too provides practical and emotional support to people living with back pain whether caused through wear and tear, injury, musculoskeletal disorders such as Scoliosis, Spina Bifida, Arthritis and Axial SpA or other serious underlying health conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, or Cancer, for example. Further information about BackCare's work can be found at www.backcare.org.uk

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Humbled with all the support and generous donations, really pleased for BackCare. Thank you so much. Marathon done 4 hrs 45 mins. A warm one. Time to recover, thank you again amazing support. 

Wrist bands to help guide your pace over the 26.2 miles, a few options, some are certainly punchy. Decision to be made. 

Expo today to collect number. Training all done.  Manual tracker below. Very basic, just sets out long runs for the weekends and possible races, easier to run in a race than always on yours own. 16 weeks has flown by. 

Training through the bad weather this year has not been great. My fingers have been so so cold and no types of gloves work. On one occasion I purchased some industrial bright orange gloves from a garage on route to a run, safe to say I stood out but they didn’t work. Sunday, the weather looks good and hopefully not too chilly first thing at the start. Typically the London Marathon coincides with the warmest day of year so far, perhaps not this year but still time. 

Last early morning strength and conditioning session before race day. Island Iron in Bury St Edmunds. Has been going well, helps immensely, fewer injuries. What amazes me is how many people are in the gym before 7am

6 days to go. An easy 2 mile run on the treadmill trying to avoid Maranoria! This is a colloquial term for the anxiety, paranoia, or irrational physical sensations experienced by runners during their final training taper before a marathon. So far so good. 

Advice recommends during training and especially in the build up to race day 8 to 12 glasses of fluid a day. I used to get headaches after exercise, since being sensible with hydration not a problem but it does take some commitment. 

A easier week. Have recovered from Boston. 6 miles tomorrow then all downhill to next Sunday. Today a comfortable 3 miles and then off to Vicarage Road. I could have played better and covered more blades of grass. A two nil defeat, and then a team huddle at the end, really! If you zoom in and have a little patience you can see me in the distance, arms folded next to my son Matt, showing out displeasure. I have white trousers….well, it’s nearly the summer. 

The London Marathon 2026 app is out. Excitement builds. Happy for you to track my run, some great stats will be available real time. Take a look 

11 days to go. Gym session today all fine. One good thing from Boston is that I ran in my go faster shoes with a carbon plate, I know I should know better……safe to say they were uncomfortable after 8 or 9 miles, blister appearing. So decision made, comfort over pace next Sunday. 

A 4.30am alarm call to get to the start of the Boston Half Marathon. Not that one, the one in The Fens.  Last long run of any note. Flat as a pancake, very open, but extremely windy. The run in a word was, absolutely awful. Well two words. Perspective required. 

No individual medal at last weeks Oakley 20, but the opportunity of a picture with one huge medal 😊

Easter Monday. Easy 13 miles around Thetford Forest / Pingo Trail. However not that easy at all…..legs suffering. 

Easter weekend, a lighter week of training. Although some time in London, incorporating a few short runs and lots of walking. The landmarks look great. Three weeks to go. 

Oakley 20 hoodie. Nice concept.

The clocks went forward, so an early start for the Oakley 20. Another cold, windy run. Honestly. The course is very undulating. As graph shows. All done and the reward the Oakley 20 hoodie, instead of a medal.

First Parkrun of the year today at Loch Neaton. Expectation was to go a little quicker than achieved. 

Sunday 22 March, Wymondham 20. New shoes, pleasant weather and time ok, albeit 20 miles is still a fair distance. First took part in this event in 2005, pleased that I matched the time. I’ll take that. Next week Oakley 20…..

Good week. Great to have some time away. Lots of training and walking. Weather good. Highest intensity week so far and consistent. Next stop Wymondham 20.

Small issue with knee last week. Hence easy week and missed long run at weekend. Not a great feeling, but rest is best…..back at it now. 

A change of scenery on Saturday. Managed to get a long run in around Regents Park. Weather dry. Outer circle, inner circle plus taking in London Zoo. 16 miles. Time on feet. 

Picture from Watford Half earlier in the month in the local paper 

Reminder of run last week at Naseby. Doesn’t tell the whole story. 

Light week. 

Naseby 1645, Sunday 15 February. 16.45 miles in absolutely awful conditions. I mean absolutely awful. Cold, rain (from start to finish) snow sleet. Puddles, lakes, mud. Life choices questioned whilst on the course. Picture at the Village Hall prior to braving the conditions. Needless to say the version of me that finished wasn’t smiling 😊 

End of week 5 of 16. Easier week - 11 miles was long run. Just seen Naseby 1645, a race next weekend in Northamptonshire. It takes in key memorial sites from the 1645 Battle of Naseby, covers 16.45 miles, I'm in. 

Watford Half Marathon today. Undulating 217 metres climb, got round 2 hrs 10 mins, happy with that. Whilst running news broke of Javi Gracia, Watford’s Manager resigning. Not surprised. Training continues 

Another 11 miles yesterday, a good week for training

Entering week three - nervous of calf, today treadmill work, walk, slow and moderate paces - 11 miles. Building to Watford Half on 1 February. 

BackCare generates significant income from our wonderful team who are running the 2026 TCS London Marathon on Sunday, 26th April. We are so grateful for their hard work in finding sponsors to support them - not to mention the hard work involved in training and running the race itself!