Steve Johns

I'm taking part in the TCS London Marathon as part of #TeamStroke

I have seen the impact that strokes can have on individuals and their families, the importance of recognizing the symptoms quickly and getting treatment fast is so important.

For my Dad, my father in law Pav, and for my uncle Stan, and the hundreds of thousands like them, I have joined #TeamStroke for the TCS London Marathon 2026.

There are over 1.4 million stroke survivors in the UK, with 100,000 strokes happening in the UK each year. That's one stroke every five minutes.

We're here to support people to rebuild their lives after stroke. We believe everyone deserves to live the best life they can after stroke, so we work with the stroke community to make sure people affected by stroke get the very best care and support. We rely on your support to provide vital services, campaign for better stroke care and fund research into preventative and rehabilitative treatments.

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My updates

Tracker

Tuesday 14th Apr

Forgot to mention, you can follow my progress on the day through the app:

Download the TCS London Marathon App to track Steve Johns: https://event1avtr.eumarathon.tcsapps.com/share?bmFtZT1TdGV2ZSBKb2hucyZjaGlwY29kZT0xODgzMg==

Taper

Tuesday 14th Apr

I have completed my longest and hardest run, 22 miles. The last few miles was a big struggle but it served as a reminder that despite the training, the marathon owes you nothing.

58 miles run in April and maranoia is setting in - was that a twinge or something worse? Can I really do this? Imposter syndrome is nothing new to me, but we have to push ourselves beyond our comfort zone in order to grow.

This whole experience has been harder than I thought, being constantly tired and hungry over the past few weeks in particular but also lacing up the trainers when the weather is miserable.

Whatever happens, it’s been a reminder that I can do hard things and at the same time, raise some funds for charity.

Spring Forward

Saturday 28th Mar

Tonight the clocks go forward but allready the days feel longer.

So far in March I have completed 120 miles, the longest run was just short of 19 miles and tomorrow the plan has 16 miles to do. On the whole things have gone well, a few aches and niggles but thankfully nothing that's stopping me.

29 days and this journey comes to an end. Marathon training is no joke, there are days where running was the last thing I wanted to do, but you have to get out there and put one foot in front of the other.

I'm grateful to having a supportive wife (Nickki), a great club (Albany Road Run Club) to run with in all weathers and the combination of a PT (Iwan Cross) and running coach (Dave Sinclair) that have made this journey easier.

The gratitude also extends to those that have donated or given me tips.

Easter Sunday will see me do the longest run on the plan, 22 miles and then it's taper time!

St David’s Day 10km

Sunday 1st Mar

Debut outing for the tshirt with the medal from today’s race

56 days to go

Sunday 1st Mar

February finished with a total of 85 miles completed. It should have been more but no point worrying about that. This last week was a decent training week, there were even some runs without rain!

March has started with a half marathon distance broken into 3 separate runs; 1) warmup run to Bute Park, 2) 10km St David’s Day race and 3) run home.

I enjoyed the race, made sure not to set off too fast which is my usual thing. GPS seemed to bounce all over the place meaning I couldn’t rely on it for pace so ran to feel. The second part of the race went really well and I finished strongly.

The run home was mostly up hill so it felt tough, but it’s a good way of building stamina.

February

Monday 23rd Feb

62 days to go.

February's training has been somewhat disrupted by a week in the alps and a heavy work schedule but we're there or thereabout on the plan.

A rare long run yesterday without rain and some sunshine was a welcome surprise but the wind was relentless. Didn't seem to matter which direction I was running in, I was met with a headwind or a crosswind.

146 miles ran so far this year, and training time is running out.

2026

Saturday 10th Jan

106 days to go!

This weekend and last has seen parkruns around me cancelled due to icy conditions. Now missing out on a 5km in the grand scheme of things is not the end of the world but Sunday’s are usually when I do my longer runs.

Last Sunday I booked an indoor track to do 10 miles, 80.5 laps of a 200m track. I needed to find a way to get the mileage done without getting injured and the treadmill is not ideal.

Today, I waited until the sun melted away the ice and got my 8 miles done in the cool conditions but bright sunshine. It was my first time try a heart rate based session. I found it difficult but I’m pleased with how it went.

Last night’s PT session showed continued progress with my shoulder recovery and I’m gradually increasing the weights I’m lifting which is great.

What’s not so great is I have had a headache since 23rd December that seem to be resistant to painkillers but does respond positively to exercise. Awaiting results from a blood test to see if they can determine the cause.

Regardless, training continues and I’m pleased with progress. Thanks for the support and donations

November - Done

Sunday 30th Nov

I finished November with a total of 104 miles run, the last of which was 15km/9miles with a decent amount of hill work thrown in for good measure. Whilst the London Marathon is flat, hills help to build stamina and that's the name of the game. Great running weather: sunny, cool and blue skies done at a pace where I was able to maintain a conversation with a running buddy who is also running London in April. It was good to catch up and complete the month injury free.

parkrun Personal Best!

Saturday 22nd Nov

My parkrun personal best has stood at 22:00 since 2016… when I last trained for the London Marathon. Today’s session on the plan was a time trial, the weather was raining and when I finished warming up, my glasses steamed up!

However, I set off and the first kilometre felt good but the tree cover was playing havoc with GPS so had no real sense of just how fast I was going. At around 1.5km in, one of my fellow club runner mate came alongside me and told me to dig in.

At 3.5km I was struggling, once again Llyr came alongside and said “Dig in!”. He went a few paces in front of me but kept looking over his shoulder.

With 400m to go it felt like I was running through treacle but kept pushing as hard as I could.

Garmin time: 21:28

Official parkrun time: 21:36

Running is weird as whilst it’s just you against the clock, without Llyr today I wouldn’t have hit that time. Without Iwan my PT, I wouldn’t have the all round fitness I have. Without my running coach, Dave, I wouldn’t have the thought out and balanced training plan. Without my running club, I would be doing some of the toughest training sessions on my own, in the dark.

Finally, without my wife, Nickki, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this.

8 “easy” miles tomorrow!

Week 4

Friday 14th Nov

As I approach the end of week four, we’re now halfway through November, and things are starting to feel very real. 76km/47miles completed so far in November.

Physically, I’m in good shape. I’ve lost a fair bit of weight over the past few months, which has made a huge difference. I’m running four times a week, mixing up the pace, distance and hills with a plan put together by my running club coach, @cardiff_dave. Friday nights are now spent with a personal trainer working on strength, mobility and conditioning… although I’ll be honest, I still go home and eat pizza afterwards! #carbs

Mentally, this time of year is always tough. The dark, cold, wet mornings and evenings make stepping out of a warm house feel like a battle. But once I get going, find my rhythm, and the music kicks in, I usually end up in a good place.

So far, with your support, I’ve raised over £800, which is incredible. With everything going on at the moment, from the cost of living pressures to the latest budget news, I appreciate every single pound that’s donated. It genuinely means a lot.

This time last year, I was in Australia when I got the news that my Uncle Stan had passed away. Stan was my dad’s brother and the youngest of seven. He had his first stroke just a few weeks after retiring, right in the middle of the Covid lockdowns. It left him with severe aphasia. For a man who loved telling stories, jokes and having the craic, losing the ability to communicate clearly was incredibly cruel.

Stan is one of the reasons I’m running for Stroke Awareness. When I’m out training, and when I’m running the marathon, I’ll be thinking of him and his family. I want to help more people recognise the signs of a stroke quickly and support those living with the long term impact, along with the families who care for them.

If you’re able to donate, no matter the amount, it will make a real difference. Thank you for all your support so far, it keeps me moving, even on the cold and wet days.

Week 2

Saturday 1st Nov

Seeing as there’s this blog facility, I suppose I should use it.

I have signed up a coach to help me get race ready and working their plan in with my PT sessions. The key thing is to learn the lessons of 10 years ago and finish injury free and not hating running.

Having a coach helps keep me accountable as well as helping keep my ego in check. For example, for the past month or so I have been in good form over the 5km distance. Today’s parkrun event had pacers and typically this is a session that I would try to push myself but the plan said to run easy. I chose to run with the 25 minute pacer which is slower than my recent pace.

I enjoyed the run in an autumnal setting, decent running conditions apart from a few muddy/slippery patches.

Tomorrow I’ll be doing a 10km on my own and need to have the same discipline in running easy. I have a couple of route options lined up and a good playlist… all being well, the weather will be fine too!

From a fundraising perspective I’m delighted with having raised over £700 already against a target of £1000. I’m fortunate that I have a ballot place so I don’t have to raise a minimum amount in an economic climate that is uncertain and managed people are struggling. I’m extremely grateful for the support and generosity I’ve received.

I won’t promise to give updates every week but I’ll try to keep you updated with progress.

Thank you to my sponsors

£106

Simon

Run, Steve, run!

£96.46

Tim Roberts

£53.32

Daniel & Sam Marsh-patrick

£53.32

D Jones

Good luck mate. UK IT Leaders and Digital WOW.

£53.32

Tynllwyn Caravan Park

£53.32

Julia Myram

Good luck Steve!

£53.32

Karen, Cushy And Gang

Good luck Steve ❤️

£53.32

Alison Collins

No doubt you’ll absolutely smash it cuz ❤️ Love Ali, G, Cam and Blu x

£52.12

Evelyn Pawlowski

Thank you for choosing this very worthy cause Steve. So relevant to our family. In 6 months time we will be cheering you every step of the way. Xx

£50

Lucas Mollan

£50

Gerard

Run Forrest Run!

£50

Paul Johns

Good Luck Steve ☘️☘️☘️

£50

Derek Winskill

One foot at a time until you can’t feel that foot anymore!

£50

Steve Johns

£50

Anne Johns

Good luck Steve!

£27.05

£20

Joe Smith

Great work Steve

£16.56

Good Luck Steve

Steve Johns

I'm taking part in the TCS London Marathon as part of #TeamStroke

Please help me reach my goal

Raised

£1,379 + £144.16 GiftAid

My Goal

£1,000

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My Achievements

Tracker

Taper

Spring Forward

St David’s Day 10km

56 days to go

February

2026

November - Done

parkrun Personal Best!

Week 4

Week 2

Thank you to my sponsors

Simon

Tim Roberts

Daniel & Sam Marsh-patrick

D Jones

Tynllwyn Caravan Park

Julia Myram

Karen, Cushy And Gang

Alison Collins

Evelyn Pawlowski

Lucas Mollan

Gerard

Paul Johns

Derek Winskill

Steve Johns

Anne Johns

Matthew Lucas

Claire Johns

Dave Jones

Vicki @ Genium

Ronan Johns

Laud

Vicki Douglas

Mike Gallagher

Nora Fox

Simon Costello

Helena Cole

Neil Pearson

Audrey Johns

Karen And Conor

Harvey Neve

James & Claire

Joe Smith

Ben Pinington

Edward Jones

Sean Moran

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