Marathon 8: The One That Nearly Didn’t Happen

By the Thursday post Oxfordshire I was in a bad way — high temperature, pounding headaches, every muscle aching. A trip to the doctors later, it was looking possible I’d not make the start line. My mother did her best to persuade me to rethink this week's plans… but stubbornness (and maybe foolishness) prevailed.

Friday brought slight improvement. We packed up the kids and headed down to Northamptonshire to stay with friends (and our protagonists for this week), Robin, Annabel and Jago — incredible hosts all weekend. Health slowly trending upwards, heavily fuelled by birthday cake, paracetemol, and a solid night’s sleep, I woke on Saturday feeling just about human enough to give it a go.

And what a reward.

After weeks of relentless rain, we somehow found glorious sunshine. We kicked off at Daventry parkrun — a brilliant, well-supported route through the country park — joined by Annabel and her school friends Emma and Fizz, before heading out into the countryside.

Robin had plotted a superb route: long stretches along the canals, dry trails underfoot, stunning views and a steady, sociable pace. Bakery Benji kept us and the supporters well stocked (sausage rolls, croissants, and cinnamon buns come highly recommended). As the miles stacked up, Robin understandably started to feel the distance — but dug in brilliantly all the way to the finish at the pub in Byfield mey by our families, and complete with a very generous donation from the landlord.

Given how doubtful it looked 48 hours earlier, this one felt especially satisfying to tick off.

Huge thanks to Robin and Annabel for an fantastic weekend. Northamptonshire, you were a delight!

➡️ On to County Durham on Friday 20th Feb.