WHEN Neil McCall first mentioned he wanted to run 50 marathons in the space of a year, his friends thought he was stark raving mad.
But after completing the 64th Isle of Wight Marathon on Sunday, that is exactly what he did — and in doing so, has raised £5,681 for national mental heath support charity, Mind, so far.
The Isle of Wight Marathon was where it all started for Neil — the first of his mammoth target chalked off on October 6 last year, which he simply described as horrible.
Fast forward a year and came the day, in appalling weather, Neil, 49, had only dreamed about, backed by a legion of support along the way to keep him going.
“Right from the start, I was amazed at the support from family and friends — and also from complete strangers. This continued throughout the marathon. It gave me a massive boost,” said Neil, a graphic designer.
“The Isle of Wight Marathon has always been a tough one for me. I’ve had two previous occasions where I’ve had to pull out — once in the back of an ambulance.
“But I kept running the whole thing — even the horrible hills at the end, the final sting being Pallance Road.
“However, once at the top, the final mile down Place Road and back to the Isle of Wight Community Centre in Cowes is all flat, which provides the opportunity to speed in for a sprint finish .... or in my case, a slow stagger.
“It felt amazing to turn the corner onto Park Road and approach the finish. Friends were beaming and it quite choked me up seeing everyone.
“I always love the approach to the finish, but this was something special. My wife, Caroline, and my dad were there, surrounded by friends.
“I had to hold back the tears. I’d finished. I genuinely didn’t think I’d reach this point. It was such a relief.”
Neil, who attended Carisbrooke High School, could then put his aching feet up on Monday and reflect on a job well done and a dream he turned into a reality.
“When the idea first popped into my head several years back, to run 50 marathons in the year leading up to my 50th birthday, I can honestly say, it really was just one of those random thoughts,” said Neil, of Mill Hill, Cowes.
“It seems hard to believe I’ve actually done it!
“When I first started to mention the idea to friends, the general response was that I was mad.
“Anyone who’s run a marathon knows it is just the tip of the iceberg. The hard work starts well in advance, when you need to put in all those miles of preparation.
“I needed a full year of preparation — running between 40-50 miles a week, including a run of between 18-22 miles every Sunday.
“There have been moments I will cherish, and there have been times I wouldn’t want to experience ever again.
“I can only describe it as a wonderfully horrible experience. Not quite the adventure I originally planned, but an adventure all the same.
“It pushed me harder than I ever thought I could be pushed.”
If you would like to donate to Mind, please visit Neil’s Just Giving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/neil-50-50
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