In 9 Marathons, 1000 days, and 15,000 kilometres, I’ll be 70 years old
Hello, I’m Steve Raven. I’d like to share the thinking behind my next challenge: running nine marathons over the next 1,000 days, and why the tenth will be a significant personal and performance milestone. I also want to explain why I believe so strongly in the work of Greenhouse Sports, how it connects to my own journey, and why I am using running—the force that shaped my life—to support their mission.
More Than Miles: Running Shaped My Life—and What Comes Next
My life has taken many twists and turns, but running has always been a constant. As a teenager, I discovered track and field—specifically the 800 metres—and that discovery changed the direction of my life. Through running, I found confidence and belief. My club coach didn’t just teach me how to train; he helped me believe that I could learn, read, write, and succeed. At the time, I had “failed” my 11+ exams and was attending an unremarkable Secondary Modern school, with expectations limited to leaving at 16 and working in a local factory. With the support of that athletics coach and an outstanding maths teacher, I managed to piece together three A‑levels and earn a place at university. I was the first in my family to do so, despite what I later came to understand were dyslexia and other learning difficulties. University opened the door to new sports—particularly canoeing and outdoor pursuits—with running underpinning it all and ultimately leading to a career in Physical Education and Outdoor Education. After ten years in teaching, I changed direction again, founding a sports technology business. Selling that business later reignited my own running and a love of exploring the countryside—what I think of as running beyond the tarmac.
As life unfolded, family and work gradually pushed running aside. I grew older and less fit, although around my 50th birthday I did manage to cycle 100 miles across the UK. It wasn’t until 2012, after selling the business I had built, that I finally had the freedom to focus on my health and wellbeing again. I returned to running and quickly rediscovered its power—not just physically, but mentally. Running made me happy. It also reignited my curiosity about people and society, which eventually led me back into education. By 2023, I had completed a PhD in sport sociology. That achievement was only possible because of the discipline, resilience, and self‑belief that running had been instilling in me for more than 40 years.
Still Running: Challenging Age, Expectations, and What’s Possible
Around the same time, I began to fully embrace endurance sport—starting with half marathons and marathons, and culminating in a challenge set by my son in 2022 to complete a Half‑Ironman triathlon. The 70.3‑mile event demanded everything: 1.9 km of swimming, 90 km of cycling, and a 21.1 km run. Over the past three years, endurance running has become central to my life, and I have begun sharing that journey openly through social media—documenting the realities of training, racing, and the broader experience of running. During this period, I have completed six marathons, including two World Marathon Majors—London and Berlin—alongside the awe‑inspiring Valencia Marathon.
The Running Algorithm: Age, Pace, and the Ultimate Test
From 2026, I am committing myself to a three‑year, 1,000‑day challenge: nine marathons followed by a tenth race that directly confronts pace versus age = a full-time athlete. I routinely meet the “good for age” qualifying standards, earning entry into major marathons, including the London Marathon. My objective across these races is unequivocal—to break the three‑hour barrier as an ageing marathon runner. This journey is about more than performance; it is a challenge to age itself, and to the limits we too readily accept.
Running Against Time: A Journey of Grit, Purpose, and Possibility
Along this journey, I am proud to support Greenhouse Sports—a charity that delivers, through structured coaching and long‑term commitment, what I experienced purely by chance. As a young person, I stumbled into track and field and encountered a coach who cared enough to share their belief, time, and passion for sport. That single relationship changed the course of my life. Greenhouse Sports exists to ensure that this kind of opportunity is not left to chance. Through trusted coaches and sustained engagement, they give young people the confidence, discipline, and sense of possibility that sport gave me. Running equipped me with resilience, self‑belief, and the ability to navigate life’s challenges. This is the same “superpower” Greenhouse Sports offers to young people across the UK—using sport not just to improve performance, but to unlock potential far beyond the track.
Defying the Clock: 9 Marathons, 1,000 Days, a Life Transformed
In approximately 1,000 days, I will be 70 years old and will attempt to run a sub‑3‑hour marathon. I am not built for long distances, and the challenge will be demanding—but it is one that only a handful have ever taken on. This is a direct confrontation with ageing, expectation, and perceived limits. The question is not whether the path will be difficult, but whether it can redefine what is possible. Follow the journey on Instagram, YouTube, and steveraven.com for honest insight into the training, racing, nutrition, health, and wellbeing behind the challenge.
Miles with Meaning: My Journey in Support of Greenhouse Sports
My ultimate hope is that others can experience the same sense of freedom, confidence, and possibility that sport—and especially running—has given me. Running didn’t just change my fitness; it changed the direction of my life, opening doors I never believed were available to me. If this journey can encourage even one person to see sport not as an end in itself, but as a powerful enabler of opportunity, resilience, and belief, then every mile will have been worth it.
What started on the running track became a pathway through education, work, and life. If my journey helps others see sport as a catalyst for confidence, direction, and long‑term change, then this challenge will have achieved its true purpose.
Follow the journey at steveraven.com, Instagram (@drsteveraven), and YouTube (/@steveraven) for updates on training, racing, health, and wellbeing. Sponsorship and practical support email steve@assist.uk or message me.
Or if you would like to donate, please visit my Just Giving page: https://justgiving.com/page/steve-raven-1000-day-challenge