Jon Marshall: The marathon man from Brighouse who shows no sign of slowing down

In the winter of his long-distance career, the high summer event will represent the crowning glory for the dad-of-two, who became one of less than 10,000 people around the globe to have completed in six marathons ‘majors’ back in March 2023 - to earn a prestigious six-star medal.

It’s some achievement, given that when Marshall was in his early teens, his running days could well have been over before they had truly begun.

Having shown his prowess in cross-country at school and inter-schools level, he joined Spenborough and District Athletic Club. He was then seriously injured in an accident while out running.

Marshall told The Yorkshire Post: “I was hit by a car and broke my leg and was concussed and out for a long time. It was touch and go sort of thing.

“When I got over that, it was ‘can I run again?’ I started running, but then I was getting a bit older and I think the stuffing had been knocked out of me and I kind of gave up.

“Around 24 or 25 years ago, I was feeling a bit overweight and joined a gym and the gym led me to the treadmill and the treadmill ‘said’ to me I could go further.

“It led to the London marathon and then a couple of years later, I did the New York (marathon), not realising about the six star thing.”

The World Marathon Series also incorporates marathons in Boston, Chicago, Berlin and Tokyo.

In keeping with his early setback, another significant hurdle faced Marshall when the Tokyo Marathon - his final one to tick off - was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid, a week before it was scheduled to take place.

Marshall - whose sons Foley and McKenzie are both avid runners - had to wait three years before completing his special personal milestone which started out with realising his childhood dream by running in London in 2006.

After completing the ‘set’ in Tokyo, Marshall readily admits that he contemplated retirement. Then he thought better of it.

He continued: “I thought maybe I should retire. Then, I got a place for London in April (2023); I’d been getting the times for my age group. If you are a certain speed versus a certain age, you get a place.

“I did London and the Rob Burrow (Marathon - in 2023) and thought it was time to retire again. Then, I kind of didn’t retire again and did London this year!

“The Olympics is probably not a bad one to go out on, but I don’t think I am ready for retirement yet. I’m looking for exciting marathons which are maybe a bit more scenic than the ones I’ve done.

“To actually run a marathon event at an Olympics will be a bit of a spectacle. I’ve got all the major marathon logos down my legs, but to put the Olympic rings on will be a ‘wow moment’ and a big thing.

“To run on the Olympic circuit is a real thrill and ticks all the boxes. Getting my six stars was the ‘biggie’ as it was such a long, drawn-out affair over many years, but this is pretty special.

“When I got the email saying I’d got a place - and the letter had all the Olympic rings on and the logo….It’s funny as I was over in Paris with work last year and there was all the regalia about and I brought some back as a souvenir for my son Foley - never thinking I could be running in this event.

“The family will all come out and it will be a pretty special event.”

For Marshall, his experience on the streets of Paris will make all the training grind worthwhile -on a route which is not so glamorous in truth along the highways and byways of Kirklees.

On his preparations for Paris, Marshall, a former Shildon Running and Athletics Club member who is now affiliated to the Lonely Goat Running Club - an online affiliated organisation - continued: “I’ve a 16-week training plan which is hard going.

“You’ve got to find the time and I had to do it on my own as I haven’t anyone who is at my pace.

“You go on a Saturday morning at eight o’clock and run 22 miles. It’s as dull as hell as it’s all flat - most marathons don’t have hills on them.

“So I am running from my house in Clifton through Mirfield, Dewsbury and Birstall and you get to a point and then turn around and come back.

“I’ve been running that route for God knows how many years. It’s hard work. But if you do that same route all the time, it gets easier in your mind and doesn’t seem as long and laborious.

“I do that week in, week out and to be self-motivated and on your own; to go out whatever the weather is a tough call. But you have to train for a marathon and if you don’t put the miles in, you don’t succeed.

“I take solace in that all I have achieved has been self-trained. I have done all this on my own, beat a sub-three hour marathon a couple of times and been all over the world.”

On his specific aims in France, he said: “I am not going to get a pb. I am getting older, training is getting harder and I am picking up more and more niggles that I wasn’t picking up.

“But I am still putting in the miles and the same 16-week training course that I have done for every marathon. It’s tough going, but I am a great believer in putting the effort in if you want the rewards.

“The reward when you get to that last 800-metres is a real thrill. I am a great believer that the body is important, but it’s mind over matter. I believe you can challenge anything.

“I’ve got the mindset to run and I have run ultras (marathons). I had been chasing a three-hour marathon for years and did it in London in 2019 in two hours, 57 minutes.”

And after Paris, it’s then onto the Great Northern Run in September with his sons.

Marshall - who turns 54 in October - won’t be winding down just yet, although he admits that he is interested in another aspect of his particular discipline a bit further down the track.

“In a few years time, I’d like to give something back”, he added.

“I have trained people to do marathons and half-marathons and I’d like to be a bit of a personal trainer for marathons and half-marathons or maybe even a pacer for a race as I’ve a lot of experience. I’ll rock up and see how it goes.”