Stride by stride: one client’s London Marathon journey

Meet Peter Boulton, esteemed client of Equilibrium and dedicated fundraiser for The Christie!

Peter’s journey began in May 2010 when his partner, Margaret, died of secondary breast cancer. This devastating event was soon followed by his daughter, Tansy, who was early diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2011. Thankfully, she is now in remission and has been cancer-free for 14 years.

Inspired by the exceptional care Peter and his family received at The Christie, he began fundraising. He has taken on multiple challenges and ran his first marathon at age 74. Less than four years later, after a failed charity application, The Christie unexpectedly offered him a spot in the London Marathon just three months shy of the big day. Despite the short timeline, Peter knew it was time to run again.

Peter’s story…..

“In hindsight, I am thankful for having participated in this year’s London Marathon. Admittedly, I was far from enthusiastic when my daughter encouraged me to apply last May. The prospect of weeks of endless training for the event failed to inspire me. A period of respite followed when our application was rejected.

“During the New Year dinner with my skiing friends, we each shared our plans for 2025. I was excited about my March ski holiday but worried about a potential marathon entry. In late January, The Christie offered me a charity place with a £2,000 fundraising goal. Though I considered declining, my daughter reminded me it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“With a recommended training period of 16 weeks, it left only 12 weeks including one week away on skis in lieu of trainers! Weekly mileage increased throughout the period in order to reach a target long run of approximately 20 miles. This is generally around 4 weeks prior to the big day. Overall, I ran over 300 miles, spent 25 hours strength training using weights and resistance bands and consumed copious litres of my complete recovery food supplement sports drink.

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” proved true as I ensured all arrangements—hotel, dinner reservations, and train tickets—were ready for myself and my support team, my daughter, Tansy, and, grandson, Harrison. After an overnight stay at Tansy’s in Royton, we headed to Manchester Piccadilly, only to find our train cancelled. A quick adjustment led to an earlier train without any reserved seats. Opting for a hotel near the start line in Greenwich, we stayed at Premier Inn Woolwich Arsenal.

“Marathon registration includes collecting the bib number, running vest, and exploring apparel at ExCel, Custom House. After returning to the hotel, an evening meal and early night were planned, but at 5.30am, an ear-piercing fire alarm was triggered in the hotel – not the best start to the day!

“With a little over 24 hours to the main event, we used Saturday to familiarise ourselves with the journey to the start and where to meet at the finish. From Greenwich Park to The Mall via the excellent London transport tube and rail network, the accumulation of steps gathered at pace. By the end of the day, we had walked 20,000 steps (8 – 10 miles). Perhaps it was good practice to ‘turn the legs over’ before a marathon or maybe not?

“It’s thought that bad luck happens in threes. The restaurant we booked for our evening meal initially announced there was no record of the reservation. After a lengthy dialogue between the hotel and the Beefeater restaurant, dinner was served. As I prepared for bed, Tansy sent me Paula Ratcliffe’s motivational good luck message to all London Marathon 2025 participants.

“Sunday morning, 27 April – the big day had arrived! Breakfast was porridge, banana, and strong coffee. It’s a mile from Greenwich Station to the park. I arrived at 10:02 am to load my baggage onto a lorry. The sun was already out as runners were sorted by wave number. Wave 15 started at 11:10 – 11:14 am. A fellow runner helped me set up my GPS tracking apps. We began slowly since temperatures were expected to rise to 22℃, making it the fourth warmest London Marathon. At Cutty Sark, around 7 miles in, I hoped to see my support team. Hearing my name from the crowd, I glanced back, inspired to keep going despite not seeing my team.

“The next possibility at mile 13 was Tower Bridge, but alas still no team. However, I fortunately missed the pro-Palestine protest and red powder paint attempt to disrupt the elite runners.

“I once watched Sir Mo Farah and noted how focused he was about fuelling during his marathon. My fuel comprised of two 450mm water bladders containing the perfect mix of electrolytes and carbohydrates. I also consumed one energy chew (33 calories) every 5 miles. The hot conditions prompted me to grab a bottle of water at most of the water stations and benefit from the cold shower points en route.

“I knew the first half had to be comfortable and the second half slightly harder. My secret weapon for the second half was the Caffeine Bullet mint energy chew, founded by marathon and ultra-running champion David Hallard. I duly followed the recommended intake of two Bullets between miles 16-18 and a further two between miles 20-22. This really did give me the lift I needed at just the right time.

“The Christie briefed me about their ‘cheer point’ at mile 22 and later confirmed I had been spotted by Louise. Perhaps it was my dashing blue “tutu” which caught her eye!

“Due to intermittent GPS signals, my support team struggled to track my progress but spotted me just before the final stretch. After crossing the finish line, we regrouped and headed to Charing Cross station, which was overwhelmed by visitors and temporarily closed. This led to more walking as we redirected to Westminster for our return to Woolwich, where dinner and a pint of Guinness awaited.

“Guinness World Records announced the 2025 TCS London Marathon set records for the most finishers (56,640) and largest one-day fundraising event, surpassing £75 million. With 840,318 applicants, it remains the most competitive marathon globally. I secured one of The Christie’s 20 charity places, finishing 50,014th overall in 6hrs 4mins 39secs, ranking 46th in the 75-79 category. The “tutu” and support from Tansy and our friend Eileen were key to this achievement.

“Overall, the Christie had thirty runners who fundraised on their behalf raising over £100,000. My JustGiving page is open here until 30 June. If you feel inspired by my story and wish to donate to this tremendous cause, it would be much appreciated.

“Finally, I would also like to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me, including The Equilibrium Foundation – it means such a lot!”