seniors

Yorkshire Marathon – Sun 18 Oct 2026

From Jon Denniss…

Having decided to enter my first marathon, I made the somewhat ambitious decision to train for 2:45, partly on the basis that if I missed it, I’d hopefully still sneak under 3 hours. Training started with a whimper; I failed to complete the very first session on 13^th July, due to tired legs from the Ilkley Half the day before. After that, training went smoothly. Normally preferring to run off road, I actually really enjoyed the road sessions and long runs; Burley to the Strid and back became a new favourite run, if not one to be undertaken on a whim at 37km. I was feeling great until about 4 weeks out, when I picked up a mysterious hip injury – a steady 4-5/10 pain regardless of whether I ran fast, slow, short or long, or even walked. I worried that on race day, running fast and long at the same time would cause it to finally blow up completely.

Mid-taper, with 7 days to go, things looked bleak. Not wanting to waste the training, I decided to consult ~~a professional~~ Google’s Gemini AI. Following a detailed “conversation”, Dr Gemini diagnosed a lower-back nerve problem rather than a structural injury, gave me some mobilisation exercises, and even threw in a reassuring pep talk. Obviously, this is not a recommended course of action for injuries, but the exercises quickly produced marked improvement and so I spent much of the next week on the floor, ‘mobilising’.

On marathon day, it was a very early start to catch the shuttle bus in York, then a very long wait in the cold before the start. I did a bit more rolling around on the damp grass courtesy of Gemini, warmed up, and finally we were off.

My plan was to run a steady 2:45 pace for at least 30km, hip permitting, and then think about a push later if I had anything left. On the day, the hip felt great, but that pace left me in “no man’s land” between two packs, so I chose to tuck into the slightly faster group, which felt easier than being on my own. I held this pace ok for about 35km, enjoying the long out-and-back section around 28km with spectators both sides and the chance to see the front runners and wave to a few fellow Harriers.

With about 7km to go, I felt my quads stiffening up. Mindful of potential cramp and a notorious hill near the finish, I decided to moderate the pace slightly. I was glad I did, as that final hill felt a lot steeper than expected!

I crossed the line just over 2:44, with the thought of collapsing onto the nearest solid structure. Unfortunately, the organisers had other ideas, with runners being made to “keep moving”, so it was straight on to the long trudge back to the baggage area, and an undignified flop onto the grass. It’s amazing how quickly your legs can go from running for the finish line to barely being able to stand!

Overall, I enjoyed the experience. We were lucky with good weather, and though other marathons may be better supported, the course is very scenic. Well done to all runners, especially to the Harriers below.

Results

(1. Nicholas Coyle, Stroud & District AC: 2:19:32)

56. (6^th MV40) Jon Denniss: 2:44:06

165. Edwyn Oliver-Evans: 2:53:08

276. Harry Brook-Dobson: 2:57:59

483. James Horrex: 3:05:32

610. Finn Maxwell: 3:10:12

1040. (123^rd MV50) Tony Pye: 3:22:43

1417. (31^st MV55) Dick Waddington 3:29:17

2217. (35^th FV40) Rebecca Brown: 3:45:02

Editor’s note:

A further three Harriers took place in the 10 mile race.