London Marathon: Running with purpose

After months of training in all weathers, runners will tackle the 26.2-mile London Marathon on Sunday 26 April – some in central London and others virtually. Among them will be Major Nick Hanover (Elgin) and Hannah Kingston (Staines).

Major Nick Hanover, Community Chaplain in Elgin, testifies to finding purpose in following Jesus as he prepares for the big day.

‘Running the London Marathon was one of those “turning 50” kind of decisions! Will my body let me? Have I got what it takes? A mid-life challenge rather than a crisis, hopefully! 

‘While I love running, it’s fair to say I don’t always enjoy the training. It’s hard! I don’t always feel like it; it takes commitment. Much of marathon preparation is about following a training schedule or at least trying to. 

‘Every day is a different run, different lengths and different types. Some days it’s an “easy” long run, on others it means running up and down hills or sprints and repeated bursts of speed. 

‘Then there’s the need to eat properly, hydrate regularly and sleep well – there’s a lot to think about! But the idea is that, if I develop healthy habits and I do the training, I’ll be prepared to handle the challenge of running 26 miles. I might even enjoy it!’

‘Of course, life gives a lot to think about too and life can be hard. Arguably, harder than running a marathon! Without a sense of purpose, without meaning or without a sense of belonging and community, life can be – and often is – tricky.

‘One of the things I appreciate and value when it comes to the life of faith is that it offers and provides a training schedule for life. 

‘As a community of people learning to live the way of Jesus together, Christians are learning to live more patiently and joyfully, with more self-control, kindness and generosity, and to love more deeply. In other words, to handle the challenge of life – and maybe even enjoy it along the way! 

‘To be honest, following Jesus sometimes feels hard; it takes commitment. It’s not always easy, but it is always worth it.

‘Because Jesus promises each and every one of us life in all its fullness. A life of fulfilment and flourishing. “Holding promise”, as the Bible says, “for both the present life and the life to come”  (1 Timothy 4:8). For some, it might sound too good to be true, but it isn’t!  

‘On a recent training run I was listening to the Rocky soundtrack – great motivational music! As I listened to James Brown singing “Living in America”, he sang these words: “And somewhere on the way/ You might find out who you are,/ You may not be lookin’ for the promised land/ But you might find it anyway.” 

‘I’m grateful that in following Jesus I’ve found who I am. I’ve also found a sense of purpose and meaning and discovered a sense of belonging and community. Now all I need is a couple of new knees and the legs of a much younger man, but I’m not sure where to look for those!’

Running closer to home

As elite, experienced and fun runners hit the roads of the capital, others are opting to pound the pavements a little closer to home by taking part in the London Marathon MyWay – a virtual event that’s affiliated with the official race.

‘The rules are that you have to cover a distance of 26.2 miles, you have to run outside, and you have to complete your course on 26 April,’ says Hannah Kingston, who is part of a group that will be running a virtual marathon which starts and finishes at Staines Salvation Army church. 

‘Some of us are planning to run laps around the church to cover the full marathon distance, but there will also be people completing fewer laps as they run a half marathon, 10K or 5K. And there’s going to be a fun run for the kids as well.’  

As she prepares to take on her first marathon – in which her group are fundraising for The Salvation Army – Hannah feels a mixture of excitement and apprehension. ‘I’m most nervous about having the feeling of wanting to give up,’ she says. ‘But there is no way I am giving up. For me, it’s all about running a race that I’m happy with.’  

During her training runs along the Thames, Hannah has found that the uninterrupted time and space have been helpful in bringing her closer to God. ‘I don’t like to run listening to music,’ she says. ‘I enjoy being able to switch off from distractions. Running outside, among nature, connects me with God.’ 

• Would you run to raise funds for the Army? For information about the 2027 London Marathon, visit salvationarmy.org.uk/challenge-events or email challenge@salvationarmy.org.uk.