Sixth Finill takes on London challenge
One family’s love affair with the London Marathon will grow even stronger in 2016 when Nicholas Finill takes on the 26.2 miles of the capital’s roads.
Nicholas, 20, will be following in the footsteps of his father and London Ever Present Chris (handicap 2.7)(pictured above), who has completed all 35 editions of the race. He will also join his other siblings as finishers of the event.
“I come from a family of five and the other four have already completed the 26.2 mile struggle so I couldn’t duck the challenge any longer,” he says. “My siblings ran the London Marathon aged 18 and 22 so I was worried about being written out of my parents’ will!”
Chris, now in his late 50s, is not only a member of the exclusive Ever Presents group, but also holds a Guinness World Record certificate for the most consecutive editions of the same World Marathon Majors marathon completed in under three hours.
Harrow AC member Chris’s fastest time in London is two hours 28 minutes, with his slowest three hours 10 minutes and he has also competed in ultra-distances for Great Britain and has a run across the United States – from San Francisco to New York, in 79 days, 22 hours.
Nicholas says: “Given my lack of fitness and my father’s age-defying marathon times, I am aware that I have to swallow my pride and just do it, even if it means losing to my ageing father while I’m in the prime of my life.”
Resigned to not bettering his dad’s PB, Nicholas is setting his sights on beating his older brother’s time of just over four hours. “If I can’t beat my father, who is knocking on the door of retirement, I have to salvage a bit of pride by beating the other male in my family.”
The 37,000 runners who will tackle the 36th edition show how far the event has come since Chris was part of the 7,055 who started the inaugural London Marathon.
“When the London Marathon came along in 1981, it was the natural thing to do,” he says.
“I took part, it was great. I ran it a second time... by the time you’re on nine or 10, it becomes something you just have to do.
“It’s been increasingly acknowledged as a streak worthy of some attention, so naturally you keep doing it. By the time you run 35, trust me – I’m going to run 36 unless I’m dead.”
And with 35 years of experience to call upon from his veteran father, Nicholas has been able to call upon plenty of advice and guidance and is now looking forward to getting to the Start Line. He says: “My training mileage is starting to increase and I’m beginning to see the satisfaction that running can bring, even if it’s not what it looks like to passers-by as they watch me struggle and grimace.”
Nicholas will be running for Orchard Vale Trust, a charity which improves the quality of life for people with learning disabilities and their families. “It’s one of the smaller charities represented at the London Marathon but there’s no doubt in my mind that putting in the work will be worth it in the (26.2) mile long run.”