Pouring rain. But what a brilliant race. Thousands of competitors in Central Park, new York City. The course followed the main road round the perimeter of the park, clockwise. It was great fun to meet Andrew, CEO of ACCA Scotland, and his wife before the race, though he certainly finished a long way ahead of me!
Day 5 – Gilsland to Brampton A very gentle walk today to finish the week. The landscape became more and more gentle as I walked into Cumbria – farmland that has been cultivated for generations, rather than the barren moorland of the previous days. I hadn’t planned on visiting the ruined Lanercost Priory, but I’m…
I am not entirely sure when I decided that I would try to run the London Marathon again. I think it may have been August last year. What matters is that for the last six months or so, I have been spending less time in the gym and more time on the road, trying to…
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and so I had my arm twisted to join our supporters from across our global network in taking up the challenge of raising money, helping to deliver a life-changing experience to more young people as they find their purpose, passion and…
I am not a member of any political party. That feels worth saying at the outset. For many years, I belonged to the party I had followed since I was a student. It helped shape my political instincts and gave expression to many of the values I still hold. But in time I resigned my…
I’ll be frank. I don’t normally like babies. They are unpredictable, fragile creatures that seem to cry all the time and frighten middle aged men like me. Everything changed today, when I met my nephew for the first time. Jack-Patrick May, newly arrived with his mum and dad from Australia, is perhaps the most perfect…
A really nice race, this one, with just a little sting in the tail! The last km was pretty much all uphill, which came as a bit of a surprise to those of us who didn’t know this part of Buckinghamshire. Excellently organised – and a very nice bacon bap at the end.
