Ahead of the Belfast City Marathon on Sunday, April 30 we asked you to submit your #MyMarathon stories and we were indunated with hundreds of inspiring stories of why many of your took part in Belfast City Marathon.
The Belfast Live judges have now picked their favourites and we've settled on a top six. You can read them below and then you will have a chance to vote for your favourite below the stories. The lucky winner will then received a £200 voucher.
Read more: Belfast City Marathon 2023: Social photos from Ormeau Park
Brendan's story:
The last 12 months have been some of the hardest that myself and my family have faced after recovering from a massive stroke last April. However, yesterday was a good day, running across the finishing line in the Belfast City Marathon and getting to my wife and kids. From I signed up for the marathon and set up a JustGiving page to the Stroke Association, I can't thank everyone enough for the supportive messages and donations I received, with the total currently sitting at over £2600, I have been blown away by the generosity of everyone.
Keith's story:
I’m a cancer survivor I was diagnosed with Kidney Cancer back in 2016 most people have been affected in one way or another by cancer. I’m extremely fortunate Cancer has no prejudice - nobody gets a choice, it chooses from children right through to the older person! The advice I received one day from a nurse has helped me on my own personal journey, she said you can control the Cancer or you can let the Cancer control you, when I was first diagnosed I remember thinking that’s my number up, I always wanted to run a half marathon, now I’ll never get the chance! At the time I thought if I beat cancer I'll take up running and try a half marathon, I joined my local running club Foyle Valley Athletics Club up here in Derry, and I did my 1st half marathon 7 months after surgery in June 2017, 32 Half Marathons, 8 Full Marathons & 4 Ultra distance Marathons, (I’ve just arrived back from the London Marathon last weekend) and I’m ready to go again this weekend in Belfast 4 Ultra Marathons later, with all that I’d say I’ve controlled the Cancer!
Cairon's Story:
I decided to run my first marathon in Belfast 5 years ago, I trained hard for months, putting in long hours and pushing myself. As the race began, I felt strong and powerful, easily keeping up with the other runners. But after a few miles, I started to feel a sharp pain in my side. I slowed down and tried to catch my breath, but the pain only got worse. Frustrated and disheartened, I began to wonder if I would ever be able to finish the race. Just then, an elderly woman wearing a bright pink shirt came up beside me. "Don't give up," she said, patting me on the back. "I've run more marathons than I can count, and trust me, everyone feels like giving up at some point. But if you keep pushing, you'll make it to the finish line." Inspired by her words, I picked up my pace and started running again. The pain in my side slowly began to fade, and I found myself running stronger than ever before.
As I approached the finish line, I saw the woman in the pink shirt waiting for me with a huge smile on her face. "You did it!" she exclaimed, giving me a big hug. "I knew you could make it." I couldn't believe it - I had finished my first marathon, and it was all thanks to the wisdom and encouragement of a total stranger. As I crossed the finish line, I felt a deep sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that I had overcome my doubts and achieved something truly amazing. And as I looked back on my marathon experience, I realized that the true joy of running isn't just in the physical challenge, but in the camaraderie and support of the running community. No matter how tough things may get, there will always be someone there to cheer you on and lift you up - and that, I knew, was something truly funny and inspirational about running a marathon. Five years later I am returning to the Belfast marathon to run alongside the lady in the pink shirt, Fiona, who I married early this year. The marathon changed the direction of my life and I can't wait to run it again.
Noel's story:
Before I can tell you about my Marathon story I have to first tell you about the people I run it for. Have you ever felt like you don't fit in somewhere? Can you imagine what it's like to struggle to go somewhere or do something routine? What about just speaking... try going just one day wanting to but not being able to speak. Many of us know someone who is autistic and many of us know how much of a challenge "normal" everyday life can be for them. Going to the cinema is too dark or too loud, going shopping is too busy and there's too much going on. Misunderstood because it can be difficult to talk to people and you can't pick up on body language or facial expressions. The kid in the supermarket having a meltdown and their parents are being judged because so many people just don't understand what autism is. I'm a dad of 3 kids and two of them are autistic. I know very well how hard it can be to be a parent facing some of the challenges this brings and there are those who have it much much tougher than me.
The Newtownards National Autistic Society provides much-needed support for these children and their families in the form of swimming lessons, cinema bookings where the lights are on and the volume is down, residential trips, day trips that are both fun and educational, sibling groups, social clubs and much more. They provide safe and secure activities where these kids can be totally free to be in an environment where they aren't judged for something that they can't help any more than they can help breathing. Newtownards National Autistic Society is entirely self-funded and is run by a dedicated team of committee members who not only organise the activities but organise many fundraising events to pay for or subsidise them.
I'm running the London marathon and then 7 days later the Belfast marathon to raise funds for this charity that has supported my kids and my family and many other families that are faced with the challenges it brings. If you are fortunate enough to be able to help then please make a donation. Every little bit counts and every penny this charity gets is used for the kids and to provide the activities you have read about. The running started back in 2017 when I signed up to run a single leg on the Antrim Road which I loved. This was with work colleagues.
I didn’t do any previous running as I thought it couldn’t have been that hard. It was to the extent where I didn’t run anymore afterwards. That is until the following year a fellow autism parent in the Newtownards branch of the National Autistic society suggested that the relay might be a good opportunity to raise some money for them. So here I go again only this time I was equipped with the knowledge that running wasn’t that easy so I knew this time to put some effort in. I signed up to park run and started running regularly and ran two legs in 2018 with the left hand side of my beard shaved off in a bid to get extra donation money out of my sister. This was when I got “bit by the running bug” it was such a good atmosphere and doing close to a half marathon between both legs I thought we should do this next year only with me putting my sights on 26 miles and 385 yards plus the relay teams of which we had 4 of in this year.
2019 wasn’t long in coming round and I had joined North Down Athletics Club, got myself a plan and set to training hard in January of that year. Running the embankment on the final stretch toward the finish I hear “NOEL” being called from the side. I turn my head to see my Dad running on the pavement alongside me at the final hurdle. This is when I realised that running marathons can make you emotional and I had to choke back tears and finish the job. The second bite! You see people talk about being bitten by the running bug but for me there is two of them. The running bug and the marathon bug and this one got me now too. I ran again in 2021 as there was no race in 2020 due to the dreaded coronavirus but this time the training did not go to plan partly to injury and partly to other commitments but I toed the start line and ground my way to a 3hr 46minute finish in trouble from mile 19 with a big wall that couldn't be seen.
I had heard about this wall and thought it was a myth until I had to break through it. This took the form of many arguments with myself as to why I should stop and why I shouldn't. 2022 came along and it had become a regular fixture in the calendar for the charity as way to raise funds. So we submitted our entries again and the buzz started. Early in the training plan, I hit the biggest stumbling block yet in my young running journey. I tore my calf muscle and couldn’t train for weeks. I thought this was the end of the marathon for this year but i nursed the injury and set off to limp to a 4hr 29minute slog.
With pictures to prove it showing the blood on my top this was the hardest race I have ever done. So that leads me to this year! The training started in January like clockwork and went smooth all the way to the end. This time it finished a week earlier than normal because I had won a place in London 2023 marathon! I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity but I couldn’t let Belfast down so I thought why not do two in a week.
With tired legs I am looking forward to toeing the line at Stormont once again to see what two in a week feels like on a middle-aged man's legs. To sum my story up, if you take into account all my marathons. They have produced pain, blood, sweat and tears. They have taken commitment Grit, determination and stubbornness and each of these races I have talked about teach me something new about myself, but most of all they show me many other people who run them for similar reasons, and it's this which gives me my biggest prize. They give me hope and inspiration when I witness what other humans endure for family, friends and even those they don't even know.
John's story:
I ran my first marathon in Belfast 1983. yes 40years ago, and I'm back again this year to run my 38th Belfast marathon and my 132nd marathon in total. I have ran marathons worldwide including 21 in New York but nothing compares to the Belfast marathon for hospitality, humour and the Belfast banter.
Mark's story:
A bit about why I doing the marathon this year. I have been addicted to very strong painkillers and I was on them for a lot of years. These tablets were not meant for long time use. One Christmas my wee boy asked me to stop taking them and I looked at him and said OK. I was taking far too many for no reason. I was speaking to a girl about it in my local chemist and she said to me when you feel of your struggling why don’t you go out for a run. I thought yeah OK,wee I have never run before and was never a fit person. So I started doing wee small runs a few times a week then I started doing the park run every Saturday and thought this would be the longest I would run as I was happy enough.
My fitness was starting to improve a lot. Then last year I did a couple of 10k runs and three half marathons including the Belfast one. So a friend of mine said do you fancy doing the full marathon in Belfast, I have enjoyed watching the marathons on TV but never thought I would be fit enough to do one myself. So now I'm turning 50 and will be doing my first-ever marathon. I will also be running the marathon for my local animal sanctuary and so far I have about £1200. So looking forward to being fit and able to compete in the marathon this year.
You can vote for your favourite with the form below:
READ NEXT:
Belfast City Marathon: Great images of the masses hitting the roads
Belfast City Marathon: Thousands of runners and walkers take to the streets
Belfast student taking on a marathon challenge in memory of her 'beautiful mummy'
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
