Manchester Marathon 2026: 2:44 – PB at age 50!
Dave’s plan works because the plan accounts for everything: the data, yes, but also the week, the work, the age, the life. That combination of knowing the numbers and knowing the person is what makes the difference. I am probably still a busy man “getting on a bit” – but Dave’s working his magic, and the next one’s already in mind.
Where did the last few months go? One minute I was recovering from York, the next I was on a start line in Manchester wearing an England Masters vest on a cool, sunny Sunday morning.
The recovery from York 2025 had been longer than expected. That block had been intense by design – the goal was an ambitious PB and a Masters qualification having turned 50. It delivered both, 10-minute PB, 2:45:53, and my pick of the majors for 2026. My wife and I chose Chicago.
Building back up, Dave and I agreed on a different approach for the winter and into spring. Less intensity, fewer of those longer marathon-pace runs, and an honest acknowledgement that I was still carrying some weariness from York. The plan was to lock in a solid half at the start of spring, build mileage steadily, but without cranking the speed up too early. It was the right call.
I won’t pretend the winter made it easy. Wind tunnel after wind tunnel. But Dave’s reminder that perceived effort is what counts in those conditions genuinely helped – it’s easy to lose your head chasing a number on the watch when the weather is doing its worst.
My spring half was North Lincs – a flat, fast course I’d recommend to anyone with a spring marathon on the horizon. Dave’s advice for race day was clear: don’t chase a big PB here. With York still in the legs, and Chicago as the A race in October, protecting the body mattered more than a time. He was making perfect sense, even if it took me a moment to accept it. I sneaked a PB on a windy day anyway.
The Manchester build felt different in a good way. No 6:15 miles on the Friday runs. Just consistent, well-paced mileage that left me feeling fresh going into each weekend rather than hanging on. The plan was well thought out again – as it always is.
I was also dealing with some pretty stubborn sciatica through most of the block. Running through it wasn’t easy, but I only missed one session in the whole build. Then, just before taper, I changed one small thing in my mobility routine – and it disappeared. Taper with zero ‘maranoia’. Huge relief.
Catching up with Dave at the start of taper, he summed it up perfectly: “Time to turn the engines off.” I shared that with a few people who were in full ‘maranoia’ mode. It landed well.
Race day goals were simple:
- Bronze – wear the vest and enjoy it
- Silver – sub 2:55 to secure Berlin 2027, and come out of it well enough to build for Chicago
- Gold – quietly, in my own head – a PB on a faster, flatter course than York
The walk to the start in the elite/white wave felt brilliant. Quiet, sunny, a slight chill and – crucially – no wind. That’s when I thought all three were on.
I spotted the 2:45 pacer right at the start and stuck to him like glue. David Morris – who I’d seen post about this on social media – was outstanding. Clear communication, smart pacing, ran it perfectly. In York I went out a touch hot in the first eight miles and felt it late on. In Manchester the splits were his, and that was the whole point. Take the thinking out of it, stay with the group, trust the pace. The group dispersed in the final two miles but he kept calling out his timings and that honestly kept me going when I needed to dig in.
Crossed the line in 2:44:50. A PB. All three goals. And importantly – I currently feel better than I did after York (fingers crossed).
Dave’s plan works because the plan accounts for everything: the data, yes, but also the week, the work, the age, the life. That combination of knowing the numbers and knowing the person is what makes the difference. I am probably still a busy man “getting on a bit” – but Dave’s working his magic, and the next one’s already in mind.
