365 - Day 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57 and 58

In order to get the mileage done on day 52 thinking outside the box was called for again. The day started with 9.5 miles on the treadmill. Then there was the small matter of driving to Manchester to watch Newcastle play. The fact that I managed 9 hours sleep meant that I put a dent into the debt that I had accumulated over the previous 7 days.

I used the distance between the car parking spot and the stadium to get the remaining miles done. To nobody's surprise, the rainfall was considerable! Despite a patchwork day, a time of 03:32:18 was achieved.

The drive back from Manchester was delayed due to heavy traffic, roadworks, diversions and .... wait for it .... heavy rainfall. As a result, we got home at 0300 on Sunday morning. Any gains with sleep had been lost.

Day 53's plan was to run back from the in-laws near Whitley Bay. They'd been looking after Órlaith while we'd been here, there and everywhere following Newcastle play. I was just about to set off when "disaster" struck. My GPS watch was out of charge! Fortunately, my phone had an app to track mileage! 

The coastline route is the one that I've been running on since 2010. It was once part of a pair of 37 mile runs I did while preparing to run across the USA in 2010. I pretty much know every inch of it. That also means I know where the chippys, CO-OPs and ice cream vans are. Need less to say, that I had a 99 at mile 7! It was purely for energy replenishment!

I felt pretty tired at mile 10. I felt that a long week had definitely caught up with me. If this was one of my usual challenges, I would have given up for the day, jumped in the RV and suffered a mileage deficit. Well, thankfully that's not an option for this 365 challenge. If I fail to achieve 13.1 miles on any day then it's game over. As difficult as this challenge has been, I'm pleased to report that not once have I contemplated giving up. I've even become accustomed to the cold and rain. I'm not a massive fan of the dark, late nights but even they don't seem too bad once I reach the half way point of any run.

Anyway, back to day 53 and those difficult last few miles. I just about managed to haul myself up the bank into Bedlington. On the plus side, it was a nice change to run the last few miles in daylight. I've only ever seen Bedlington front street in darkness lately. I reached home in 03:34:17. Another slow one but another one done in the toughest week so far. From Bedlington to Baku and back it had been a successful week. 

Thanks to some kind donations the total for St. Benedict's Hospice stood at £1174.70. A great week all round. 

I didn't start running until just after 19:30 on day 54. I had a rough route in mind but it ended up being one of those that I made up as I went along. As you can tell from the route map below, I did a few loops here and there. I had originally intended to cut across due west from Bedlington Station but the road was closed. There was a lot of building work going on in preparation for the new train station opening. A few more local loops helped to get the required mileage done. It was yet another slow one with the distance taking 03:31:58.

I was soaked when I reached home. I hardly noticed the pouring rain at the time. 

Day 55 was a treadmill run taking 03:28:56. It was the same again on day 56 with another late start meaning I didn't finish running until 23:30. That time was a consistently slow 03:26:56.

Day 57 was yet another late start. I wrote on the Run Geordie Run Face book page "That was tough! They all are. I must try and shift my schedule to earlier in the day. Setting off at 8pm most nights this week has see some difficult last few miles. My legs are saying that I should be in bed at that time! 

I tell you what though, the donations to St. Benedict’s Hospice aren’t half making a difference. The two tonight really helped to give the effort some purpose and meaning. Sometimes, it’s difficult to make sense of why I’m running around Northumberland in complete darkness late at night. With the hat and gloves, I look like a burglar!! Add in my head torch and I could be a safe cracker! 

So thank you to Em Gettins and an anonymous sponsor for kind donations to St. Benedict’s Hospice via https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365 tonight. One donor’s comment is hard to disagree with “Gan canny Mark. You are both inspirational and mad as a box of frogs. Good luck.”. Thank you to whoever wrote that.".

There's something about the route to Morpeth that I find easier to contend with than most others. I'm not sure what it is. Perhaps I'll know in a few months time when I've ran it a lot more.

Day 58 started at 20:15 which was the latest of any run so far. It was another treadmill effort which took 03:28:11. To say that I was cutting it fine running so close to the midnight cutoff was an understatement!

365 - Day 48, 49, 50 and 51

It was an early start on day 48 in order to get an 0540 train from Edinburgh to Morpeth. I was pretty tired off the back of 2 nightshifts and some late days of running. Of all of the weeks so far during the 365 campaign, this was the one that I was most nervous about.

We got to Edinburgh in good time and I set off running from Waverley Station at 0715. It was really cold but at least there was no rain for once. I felt surprisingly good and reached the airport after 10.9 miles in good time.

I was very grateful to Doubletree by Hilton at Edinburgh airport for letting me use a shower in their gym. Without that, I faced the prospect of sitting on a flight to Istanbul then Baku stinking the place out.

The remaining miles for the day were done in Istanbul airport. The main terminal had a half a mile straight section which I used. It was quite busy so a fast walk gave a final time of 03:26:14 for the day. 

We landed in Baku at 0300! It was gone 0400 by the time we checked in to the hotel. It had been a tough day. Swollen feet at altitude together with over 35,000 steps left me in a lot of pain and discomfort.

Day 49 was done at a very slow pace and split in to 2 sections. Consecutive late nights and travel had taken it's toll. I decided that this was the best approach to keep 365 alive.

The first section of 7 miles was in and around the Baku coastline. It was part sightseeing and part reccy for a better run the following day. The remaining miles were done to and from the Newcastle match with Qarabag.

The travel, the lack of sleep and the disrupted miles were all worth it following a 6-1 victory for Newcastle. 

Damage to my average times so far during this campaign was limited with an 03:44:52 effort. 

Day 50 was another one to be split into two sections. The first section was quite hilly with a route around the old town and up to the Flame Towers.

The lack of rain was obviously a novelty, as was running in daylight. The real shock to the system was the lovely warm weather. The sights and sounds of Baku were very pleasant indeed. I didn't have to go far to get away from busy city centre traffic to some quiet parts of the city.

Tiredness after just five miles really kicked in. It was time for a tactical snooze back at the hotel for a couple of hours.

The second session of the day started just as the sun started to set. The drop in temperature was remarkable. That might explain why there was hardly a soul about.

A succession of landmarks really helped to take my mind off just how tired I felt. First up was the Daniz Mall (pictured below)

The Baku Eye was next up at the 6.5 mile point for the day. It was at this point that the wind off the Caspian Sea started to pick up.

At mile 7.5 it was very gusty indeed. I managed to reach the Ruby 360 restaurant where sadly no photos were taken. I didn't think that risking my phone getting blown out of my hands into the sea was worth it.

The landmarks kept coming and realling came into their own as the sun set. The Flame Towers on one side and Baku Crystal Hall (below) provided some light entertainment. Literally!

I crossed State Flag Square in near total darkness. I hadn't brought by head torch to Azerbaijan so every step was a leap of faith. I ran up and down the stairs making sure that I stood at the base of the world's second tallest flag pole. I'm not sure where the flag was mind. Perhaps it had blown away in the wind! 

This part of Baku was so quiet that I did wonder if I should be out there running. Imagine my shock when I saw a hooded figure coming out of the shadows as I made my way away from the square. In reality, Baku is one of the safest places I've ran.

I made it as far east as the Crescent Hotel building. It was around this area that I saw a poor dog who clearly only had the use of 3 of it's 4 legs. It was a really sad sight to see. It was one of many stray dogs and cats that I'd seen while in Baku.

I made it back to the finish line at the hotel after 03:35:01. It was yet another day that I'd rescued with a quicker effort in the later session. 

After a quick bite to eat, it was time to make our way back to the UK. In hindsight, a 0400 flight wasn't the best idea I'd ever had.

After a flight to Istanbul then to Edinburgh I was stopped after UK border control by a man in a florescent jacket. He asked if I would mind filling in a survey about my experience in the building. It took me quite a while to do as I was part doing the survey and part telling him about my running exploits. The result was a completed survey and a promise to make a donation to St. Benedict's Hospice. A promise he absolutely kept with a kind donation the following day. 

The kind encounter at the airport really put a spring in my step and I made my way to the train station in Edinburgh city centre. I was amazed at how good I felt given the lack of sleep and food. I put a lot of effort in which meant that my mid layer, hat and gloves soon came off.

I met Donna in Edinburgh city centre (she got the bus!). The sun was shining and it was nice and warm. That first session of the day was 8.6 miles.

There were a few hours before the train home so Donna and I had a slap up meal at Miller & Carter. It was absolutely tremendous and very much needed.

The final session was done on the treadmill back home giving a total time for day 51 of 03:24:41. With no sleep whatsoever on day 51 I did wonder if I'd be able to keep the relentless schedule going. Work, football and running means my life is very full on in 2026. I've said it many times - I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Seeing the much needed donations coming in to St. Benedict's Hospice is absolutely brilliant. So much kindness is being shown. There are quite a few anonymous donations over at www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365. If that's from you, dear reader, then thank you. A total of £1,144.70 has been raised so far this year.

365 - Day 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47

Day 41 was done in London. This one was split into two with the match against Spurs in between. I've ran in a lot of rain this year and that night in the capital was up there with the most torrential conditions. I set off from my hotel in Kings Cross in rush hour. There was flooding everywhere.

Despite running on pavements, there was limited space for the most part. The passing traffic, in particular the buses, swept a huge amount of water onto my route. This often left a small space on which to run on. 

Once I got to the stadium, I started to cool down. Soaked from head to toe, I spent the entire match freezing. Thankfully, there were some goals and ultimately a victory to celebrate.

I was pleased to get the second half of the run underway after the final whistle. It didn't take long to warm up. The rain wasn't as intense either. I spotted a fox just before I got to the finish line at Kings Cross. It was a timid little thing, obviously on the look out for some supper.

A final time of 03:34:58 wasn't brilliant but given the conditions I'll take that.

Day 42 was a late start on the treadmill. It was a long old day with a 0500 alarm making sure I got the 0540 train on time from London back to Newcastle. I managed to run half marathon number 42 in 03:20:11

Day 43 was another late start. Yet more rain made for another challenging run for the now familiar route to Morpeth and back. I was beginning to wonder if this is a sponsored swim rather than a run!

Another slow and steady run meant that this one was done in 03:29:43. Once again, some brilliant donations helped my morale massively.

Day 44 was another treadmill run and a late start. A time of 03:24:15 was achieved. 

I was up early on day 45 to run 9.5 miles on the treadmill. The remaining 3.6 miles were done in Birmingham prior to the match against Aston Villa. It was yet another one of those "hybrid" days where I had to do something a bit non standard to be able to get the mileage done as well as fit in normal life. In this case, a brilliant win in the FA Cup. A slightly better overall time of 03:21:22 was helped by a quicker than normal run on the treadmill. Not for the first time, I realise that if I need to be somewhere or I have a deadline, then my pace is slightly quicker.

After a bit of a lie in and some chores, I set off on day 46 in daylight for once. I was just settling in to a nice dry run when the heavens opened! Oh well. It was nice while it lasted. The travelling to Birmingham and back the previous day and yet another late night made this one difficult. There was little variation in pace and each mile was consistently slow. 

I was pleased to finish this one in 03:34:17. The benefits of me getting fitter are just not being realised due to how tired I am. 46 days of half marathons has now seen me burst through 600 miles. That's probably a lifetime best mileage at the start of any year since I started running. I also think that the 1.3 million steps that I've taken is also a personal best at the start of any calendar year.

I managed to finish work at a decent time on day 47. It was another treadmill run which was done in 03:24:54.  

Thank you to everyone who has made a donation to St. Benedict's Hospice via https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365.  The current total is £1097.13.

365 - Day 37, 38, 39 and 40

After another busy work day on day 37, I didn't get running until just after 19:30. This one was on the treadmill. Where usually I'd watch something on the TV to keep my mind occupied, I really couldn't be bothered. Needless to say the time seemed to go very slowly. I couldn't find any real pace and was pleased to get this one done before 23:00. A mind numbing 03:23:10 was achieved. 

Day 38's plan was to run to the match in Newcastle. After a couple of slow days, I decided to see how far I'd come, fitness wise. So out of the window was the usual conservative risk free pace. This was all about getting to the finish line as quickly as possible. I knew that I'd suffer the consequences in the coming days. I felt that seeing what gains had been made after 37 days of half marathons with no prior training whatsoever was more important.

Conditions were near perfect for running. It felt like such a nice change to be running in daylight too. I can't remember the last time that happened. It was probably Paris on day 28.

I had the usual few minutes to wait for the train to pass at Stannington Station road. I was soon on my way again. It was at this point that I decided to settle in at 12 to 13 minute miles. This might not seem very quick to many people but to me I felt like a proper runner again. It felt quite far removed from the 4 miles per hour of plodding that had served me well for 37 days.

The first 7 miles to Seaton Burn felt quite comfortable. I later heard that a work mate, Graeme, passed me in the car at this point. Had it been safe to stop then he would have offered me a lift to the match!

The 2 mile section through Wideopen seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. It was stark contrast to day 36 when I was plodding through there in the pouring icy cold rain. I took the opportunity to do a Facebook Live while I was running. While doing so, some brilliant donations came in to my Justgiving page. They were from 2 long term supporters. The first one was from respected journalist George Caulkin. He's someone who has followed the Run Geordie Run journey right from the start and offered support all the way. The second one was from a lovely lady who we set next to at the match; Pam. Her support over recent years has been incredibly kind. Just as I felt a little bit tired, some timely donations served as fuel to my feet. Of course, these are much needed donations for St. Benedict's Hospice. However, as I've mentioned on many an occasion, money to the hospice always does wonders for keeping me moving forward. That's been the case all over the world and in all kinds of conditions and predicaments.

I messaged Donna at mile 9 to say that I was going to be around 30 minutes quicker than usual. She set off for the match day meeting place earlier as a result.

Gosforth High Street was a little busy and that slowed me down slightly. I was back up to full speed when I got to the other side. I was just striding out down the Great North Road (for a grandstand finish) when Donna passed in the car. I'm not sure she could see me but I celebrated what was sure to be a 2026 best time with some punches in the air. It must have looked a right sad sight from those passing by. I didn't care one bit!

I got to the finish line in 02:50:09. It was probably. the quickest half marathon distance I'd ran in years. Certainly quicker than the last disastrous Great North Run in 2022 (another one where I did no training whatsoever). 

So having knocked 25 minutes off my previous best time for 2026, I had a good idea of how far my fitness had come in just 38 days. It's not just about fitness though. The motivation to get out and run is absolutely consistent. Obviously, I have no choice if I want to keep this campaign alive. I'm pleased with my atitude so far in what have been some difficult conditions to run in. Roll on warmer weather and lighter, longer days.

The question now is, can I make similar gains over the next 38 days? The benefit to that is that I'll be spending less time on my feet and have more time back to do other things. Even if I'm saving 30 minutes a day, that will add up over the course of a week.

Back to day 38 and the match didn't see the result I'd hoped for. It took quite a while to walk the 1.5 mile back to the car. The consequences of running quicker were being seen already! 

Day 39 was another late start. As expected, I was aching terribly from the prior day's effort. I hadn't even managed to get around the supermarket in the usual quick time for the "big shop". 03:25:40 was the final time on the treadmill. Donations from Louise and Andy helped massively to get through this one. The charity fund had burst through the £1000 barrier.

Day 40 wasn't much better in terms of recovery. Dull aches still remained in my legs. My plan was to get a 15:00 start but work commitments meant that I started running just before 17:00. I managed to see 15 minutes of daylight at least.

The route was to run to Bedlington Front street and back before heading to Morpeth. By the time I got to Nedderton, the head torch was needed. There were some flooded, slippy patches on the path. It would just take one slip into the nearby traffic and it would all be over. Speaking of floods, I wondered if this would be the first run this year with no rain. Spoiler alert! It wasn't.

I added a few miles on by running around Northumberland County Hall then a nearby estate. By the time I turned back to head home I felt very tired indeed. Obviously, I had to wait for trains to pass at Stannington. Regular readers may remember my love for trains. The excitement of waiting for them to pass is still evident today as it was back in the 70s as we drove to the caravan at Seahouses. "Which way is the train coming from" was my Dad's usual question at Chathill. Anyway, I digress. 

I completed half marathon number 40 for the year in 03:32:32. It was as slow and steady as they come! 

Thank you to everyone who has made a donation so far. A grand total of £1027.13 has been raisied this year for St. Benedict's Hospice. It's been a magnificent start. If you'd like to make a donation then please visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365.

In the meantime, thanks to so much kindness and generosity the overall position can be seen below.

So with 40 days of running 524 miles for a good cause complete, it's fitting that I finish this blog with a reminder from St. Benedict’s Hospice themselves as to why your donations are so important - “Our specialist care teams, comprised of medical professionals, clinical staff, and volunteers have been providing the highest standard of care to our patients and their loved ones for over 40 years and we can only continue to do this with your help. As a charity, St Benedict’s relies on the generosity of the community to help fund the delivery of free palliative care, advice, and support to patients dealing with a life limiting illness.”.

365 - Day 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36

Following the exploits of travelling back from Paris, a good tactical snooze was had on day 29. This meant that I didn't start running on the treadmill until 20:00. I felt quite fresh though and managed half marathon number 29 in 03:22:07.

Day 30 saw a slightly earlier start at 19:00. Once again the treadmill was used. A slightly quicker time of 03:20:54 was done. I was definitely boosted by a really generous donation from Chris Parry earlier in the day. At this point the charity fund for St. Benedict's Hospice stood at £625.13.

Day 31 was a tricky one to manage logistically. As well as fitting 13.1 miles in, there was the small matter of watching Newcastle U18s at Manchester City, checking in to a hotel in Warrington, travelling to Liverpool then watching Newcastle take on Liverpool. Needless to say, I was on the treadmill just before 05:30. I managed to get 6.6 miles done. I had anticipated running the rest in between matches on the cold dark roads of Warrington. Much to my delight, when we checked in, I discovered that the hotel had a treadmill. I rattled off the final 6.5 miles to give a total of 03:25:11. 

I went to the match in high spirits but that was soon crushed! A generous donation to St. Benedict's Hospice from Phil Hargreaves ended the day on a bit of a high at least. 

We drove home from Warrington at the start of day 32. Another generous donation to St. Benedict's Hospice came in via https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365. This one was from long term supporter David Gateshill. 

A monumental tactical snooze was had before hitting the treadmill once again at 19:00. I managed that one in 03:30:11. I was very tired by the end. I was fast asleep as soon as I hit the pillow.

I was supposed to start running on day 33 at 15:00. Work plans put paid to that but I still managed to get out at 16:30. Despite more rotten weather, after 4 consecutive days of running on the treadmill, I was very pleased to get out onto the paths and roads of Bedlington, Stannington and Morpeth. My head torch was put to good use all the way to Morpeth. I made it to the half way point at Sanderson Arcade, Morpeth before heading back home.

This run felt as comfortable as any I'd done this year. I've written many times that my aim is to run at 4mph during these early months. I was ever so slightly slower than that going out but managed a "negative split" to finish in 03:16:11. That turned out to be the second quickest of this campaign (another Morpeth run on day 24 pipped this one by just 20 seconds). 

After 33 days of running half marathon distances, I feel like I've got a little more pace to give. What's holding me back is the thought of having to "do it all again tomorrow". There's also the horrendous conditions I've been running in too. When will this rain stop? 

It's worth repeating that after the run across the USA last summer, I only did one 3 mile test run before embarking on the 365 campaign. Madness some might say. Allowing my feet to recover in time for 365 is my excuse. Paris and 40,000 steps aside, they have recovered really well. I've now managed 432.3 miles and they are showing no signs of the usual problems. So far, 365 is confirming what I thought. There is life left in my feet for running. Day in day out half marathon distances might just be my limit without taking on damage. I'll revisit this thought in a few weeks time.

Family commitments meant that I didn't start running on day 34 until just after 19:30. I could have easily gone on the treadmill again and avoided the rotten weather. However, for some reason, I was looking forward to getting out onto the streets. 

I feel now that I'm in a routine of sorts. Habits have been formed. Donations to St. Benedict's Hospice are fuelling my daily motivation. So day 34 was probably the day when running 13.1 miles every day felt "normal". There's no chance of "I can't be bothered today" or "I'll do it tomorrow instead". It's been a good start. A slow start. But a good one.

Meanwhile, day 34 presented another rotten night weather wise. I really didn't mind. I was well wrapped up. I had some banging tunes on the iPod and 4mph felt pretty comfortable again. I had no particular route in mind so I headed to the Ridley Arms at Stannington. Sadly, I didn't have time to call in for fish and chips! That's only 4.5 miles away to the west. After a few quick calculations I worked out that running on to Bedlington Station and then back home should get me at least the half marathon distance.

I eventually ran past my house at mile 9. That wasn't good for morale I can tell you! It was another 2 miles to Bedlington Station. I made it there in decent time. 

The paths and roads were muddy and flooded in parts. The last few miles back home were a little slower. Although, what I've been noticing recently is a consistent set of mile times. There is now generally less than a minute difference for each of the 13.1 miles I do. That's easy enough to do when running comfortably. 

Kind donations to St. Benedict's Hospice from Eilidh and Keith while I was running were very timely. When donations are made during a run my mind switches from questioning my life choices to "There's another mile and there's another donation. Let's keep moving". Money coming in to the hospice in "real time" is a brilliant feeling. 

I finished day 34 just after 23:00 in 03:27:21. It was a risk to finish so close to midnight. If I ever fail to get 13.1 miles done in a day then this challenge is over!

Day 35 was another tricky one due to travelling to Manchester to watch Newcastle play City in the League Cup. Thinking outside the box again, I managed 9.5 treadmill miles between finishing work and setting off for the match. The remaining 3.6 miles consisted of a brisk walk to and from the stadium from the parking place. Donna set a very good pace and I just about managed to keep up with her. I'd actually ran slower miles recently than her brisk walking pace. Day 35's miles were done in 03:25:01.

We arrived home from the match just before 02:00 on day 36. As my head hit the pillow my final thought for a long day was what kind of impact this would have on day 36's half marathon.

I was working in Gosforth on day 36. The plan was to run home starting in some daylight. Work commitments put paid to that plan and I set off in the pouring rain just before 18:00. Donna messaged me to say "Weather is treacherous - you might want to get the bus home and consider the treadmill". Once again, I was just glad to be outdoors. I knew the conditions would slow me down but I was fine with that. The photo below is not the best but I think it captures the night perfectly.

I started to find the 4mph pace up the Great North Road at mile 5. The remaining 8.1 miles were very consistent with only a maximum variation of 50 seconds between each one. At the top end of Wideopen, at the 7 mile point, I turned due east towards Dudley. All of a sudden I was running into the icy blasts of rain. I felt pretty hungry and the smells of the numerous take aways was torturous as I ran past. Another couple of donations were made to St. Benedict's Hospice while I ran (my GPS watch alerted me to that). Thanks to that morale boosting generosity, it's no wonder I was powering through the awful conditions. 

I managed to get across the A19 at mile 9.5. A few quick calculations made me realise that I'd be running onto unsafe roads by mile 12. To remedy this, I increased the safe mileage by running up numerous side streets and estates in Cramlington. This meant that I would have a well lit finish line at Shankhouse. 

I reached the finish line in 03:39:20. It would have been even slower had I not put in another negative split. Donna came to pick me up in the car. The day ended with a much needed pizza which helped to warm me up a bit. Órlaith (our golden retriever) slept in the bed and she was like an electric blanket. Albeit one, who takes up most of the bed! Once again, my final thoughts were "how tired am I going to be tomorrow?". I'd gotten away with it today. It's sure to catch up with me sooner or later. 

Thank you, once again, to everyone who has sponsored me with a donation to St. Benedict's Hospice. If you'd like to do so then please visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun365.