School violence victim becomes record holder for running 1,000 marathons

Born with a deformed left arm, Edwards endured years of teasing and bullying at school. But in 1981, at the age of 18, a fortuitous moment changed his life when he saw a poster on the wall of a gym in Coventry, England, advertising a local marathon.

Despite only five weeks of training, Edwards ran his first marathon in a remarkable time of 3 hours and 38 minutes. The next day, he got out of bed with numb legs and couldn’t walk properly for a week. At that point, Edwards vowed never to run another marathon again.

But he soon forgot that vow. During the British running boom of the 1980s, Edwards abandoned his kung fu classes and eagerly joined a running club. Over the next four decades, Edwards would set countless world records and earn the nickname "The Godfather" from the international running community.

In fact, Edwards has run a marathon every 13 days for the past 36 years, covering a total distance of more than 41,800 km (26,000 miles), which is longer than the circumference of the earth. Only about 50 people in the world have completed 50 marathons, but all of them averaged over 4 hours, except Edwards.

On May 5, Edwards reached the 1,000th marathon milestone when he completed the Milton Keynes Marathon, with an average time of just 3 hours 21 minutes 47 seconds. After finishing, he was awarded a certificate by the Guinness World Records organization.

Another amazing fact is that Edwards has never failed a race (DNF) in his marathon career. Recalling his shy teenage years, the former IT worker from Longborough said: “I grew up being bullied and told myself I could overcome anything. Running gave me a confidence that I didn’t have at school for many years. Now I’m resilient and a bit stubborn.”

In 2010, after completing his 500th marathon, Edwards considered stopping because he was exhausted. But on the way home, he told his wife that he still felt a little motivated. Edwards had hoped to reach the 1,000-marathon mark in 2022, but the impact of Covid-19 was not enough to fulfill his dream. This made him somewhat depressed. Despite continuing to train, including lifting weights six days a week, Edwards' body could not recover to its pre-pandemic state. Once again, he had to overcome the thought of stopping.

"People think I'm a machine. But sometimes when I get out of bed, take my first steps to the toilet or get a cup of tea, I feel like I can't run a kilometre or two, let alone 42 kilometres. Now, it takes me the first few kilometres to find my rhythm and I often get nervous before a race," he shared.

Edwards chose the Milton Keynes Marathon as his 1,000th and final marathon because he has run there more than anywhere else. This time, he added a fundraising goal for Kate's Nursing Home, a local care facility where his wife used to work. Edwards raised $12,500.

Edwards choked up and shed tears when asked about his feelings after completing the Milton Keynes Marathon. He believes he can hold back his emotions for now. But tomorrow, when he wakes up and knows he will never run a marathon again, he will probably be very emotional. Edwards said he promised his wife Teresa he would never do another challenge.

"Throughout my life, my motto has been to never underestimate your potential and to pursue your dreams. I was born with a deformed arm, bullied and marginalized, but when I run, when I stand at the starting line with thousands of others, who you are is no longer important. Everyone respects each other with a sympathy for what you are about to go through in the race," the 61-year-old runner concluded.