Marathon 12: From Podcast to Pavement in Bedfordshire

I seem to say this every week, but Bedfordshire was another special one. This time, it was all about who I was sharing the miles with.

I was running with Ciaran, one half of The Male Fertility Podcast, who I’d recorded one of my first podcasts with last year when this whole challenge was just getting off the ground. That conversation was a real milestone at the time—one of those early moments where things start to feel real, where you get a bit of validation from people who are right at the heart of the space you’re trying to support.

And somewhere in that process, Ciaran said he’d run one with us.

The only slight catch being, he’s not a runner. In fact, far from it. His background is in powerlifting, cycling, downhill mountain biking… pretty much anything but running. Injuries from when he was younger meant running was never really his thing, and he’d never gone much beyond 10K before. But when he heard about the challenge, he knew he wanted to be involved.

Six months later, he was on the start line of his first marathon.

I went solo on this one and, despite setting off in good time, had a classic autopilot moment on the drive down—missing the turn and heading off in completely the wrong direction. What should have been a smooth run-in turned into a slightly more rushed arrival, but we made it to the start with time to spare.

We met just outside Ampthill, with Ciaran joined by his wife Jen and their two kids, before heading over to Bedford for a 9am parkrun start.

For Ciaran, it was a double debut—his first marathon and his first ever parkrun. It was clear from the outset that it was going to be a great day.

Blue skies, sunshine, and for the first time on the challenge, a bit of genuine warmth. We’ve had bright days before, but this one felt different. The kind where you start thinking about sun cream mid-run, a first for the year.

The parkrun itself was spot on. Well organised as always, a great turnout, and a really nice way to ease into the day. More importantly, the tone was set early. The chat was flowing, the mindset was right, and there was never any doubt that, however long it took, Ciaran was going to get it done.

After the parkrun, we pushed on through Bedford, navigating a slightly less scenic stretch along a main road before cutting out into the countryside. And from there, the route really opened up.

Fields, reservoirs, open space. Steady progress, ticking off the miles without too much fuss. By the time we reached halfway, we were in a good place.

We met Ciaran’s family and friends for a quick stop—water, fuel, and a bit of a reset. It was around here that things started to bite a little. The early miles had felt comfortable, but the reality of the distance was beginning to creep in. 

But we kept it simple. Ten miles to go. Count them down one by one. And that’s exactly what we did.

The pace dropped, as you’d expect, but what never changed was the attitude. Ciaran just kept moving forward. For someone who “isn’t a runner,” it was an incredibly impressive effort—physically, but even more so mentally.

And all of it done with a smile on his face.

As we headed up towards the finish at The Stone Jug, we were joined by Ciaran’s son, Seb. The two of them running that last mile together was one of those moments that sums up what this challenge is really about. A brilliant way to finish a very special day.

Huge credit to Ciaran. To take on something so far outside your comfort zone, commit to it, and see it through like that—for the right reasons—is what this is all about.

12 down.

Another one that will stick for a long time.

And while there’s no sunburn just yet, there’s definitely a sense that the warmer miles are on their way.