Graeme’s Marathon Mission: A Journey to the TCS London Marathon 2025

With just over 2 months until the TCS London Marathon 2025, London Sport will be spotlighting the journeys of our 11 London Marathon runners, sharing their incredible stories and showing how you can support them. First up, Graeme Clarke from Decathlon UK, who shares his motivations for taking on this iconic challenge:

Graeme’s running story began around a decade ago when his wife started participating in Parkrun. At the time, he considered himself active – regularly playing football, cycling to work and enjoying squash. However, Saturday mornings were for relaxation rather than early-morning runs. After some encouragement, he eventually joined his wife for a Parkrun and found himself drawn to the challenge of competing against younger and faster runners. Within a year, he signed up for his first marathon in Brighton.

Following a structured training plan, he embraced the physical and mental demands of long-distance running. Race day brought an incredible experience: the energy and support of the crowd, camaraderie among runners, and the sense of achievement at the finish line. It was official. He had caught the running bug and was soon signing himself up for another marathon.

Since then, Graeme has completed 10 marathons across the UK, each posing its own challenges and rewards - but always with a sense of accomplishment. Along the way, he set himself two goals: achieve a personal best and run the London Marathon. In 2018, he conquered his target of a PB, but securing a spot in London remained harder than expected, entering the ballot year-on-year only to come up short with the hundreds of thousands who are unsuccessful.

Graeme’s passion for sport extends beyond running. His cycling commute led him to Ride London events, which in turn introduced him to triathlons and Swim Serpentine. It was then that he discovered the London Classics medal – awarded to those who complete Ride London, Swim Serpentine, and the London Marathon. London became more than just a dream; it became a mission.

Graeme then discovered the opportunity to run for London Sport and this was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Supporting an organisation dedicated to breaking down barriers to sport and physical activity made the challenge even more meaningful, and now, every training run comes with extra motivation – knowing that his fundraising efforts will help London Sport continue its mission to help Londoners live longer, happier and healthier lives through being physically active.

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