London Marathon debutant follows in footsteps of coach who ran in first marathon in 1981

A London Marathon debutant is following in the footsteps of his athletics club coach by running the marathon in the capital this weekend.

Elliott Tong, 24, from South Yorkshire, was trained at Doncaster Athletics Club by Barry Barnes, who competed in the first London Marathon in 1981. Tong was coached by Barnes for eight years having started running at primary school.

Tong said: “I started running when I was around 10 years old. My parents often joked that they used it as a way to tire me out as I always had so much energy, even after football practice.

"I really enjoyed the experience and my trainer Barry Barnes was great. I always found it really exciting that he competed in the first ever London Marathon.

“Throughout my early years in running he was a great influence and I have always seen him as an inspiration and a role model in my life.”

Elliott describes the London Marathon as something he has always dreamed of running from a young age. He is used to cross country running and track and field and his specialism was the 800m sprint.

“I always enjoy running and I loved the structure and routine that it gave me,  after a while I realised it was something that I had a passion for and a talent for. I always wanted to run the mini-marathon when I was younger but never got the chance to do it," he said.

London Marathon aims

Raising money and awareness for men’s mental health charity CALM is one of Tong’s prime objectives at this year’s marathon on Sunday (23 April). The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is a leading movement against suicide, the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK.

Tong was a regular runner from the age of 10 to 18 but he gradually gave up on running during his time at University.

He said: “I loved running but it was something that I did a lot less during my early years of university and eventually I gave it up. I adjusted to the lifestyle of studying and going out with friends.”

Tong returned to the world of athletics in 2022 and was scheduled to take part in last year’s London Marathon in October but he deferred it to this year due to a struggle with his mental health.

He said: “I felt for a time like I wasn’t living as healthy and sustainably as I should have been and I am glad I used the CALM service to discuss it and get someone’s help and perspective.”

As a Doncaster Rovers fan he became aware of the CALM service due to their partnership with the football club and Tong remembers seeing the charity’s logo for the first time when club icon James Coppinger was pictured wearing the green kit.

Tong praised the influence of CALM and said: “The charity is a safe place where you can openly speak to someone about any struggles and get them off your chest. This is particularly useful for men who can sometimes bottle things up and speak less openly.”

Advice for runners starting out

Tong claims that new runners can benefit from joining a running club and believes it can help to run alongside other people.

He said: “I’d advise joining a running club as it gives a healthy sense of competition and can make it more interesting. I also think the couch to 5k programme and park runs are useful for new starters. The main thing I would say is to focus on the quality of your runs and not the quantity and make sure you are taking adequate time to rest and recover.”

Challenges and how to donate

Tong joined Fulham running club in October 2022 and he has trained four times a week since January to prepare for the race. He describes the main challenge as fitting training around his work schedule.

Tong added: “Long runs have been challenging, particularly after work where it can be tiring. But doing it in a club has definitely helped and I often try to switch up my route whilst making it as scenic as possible so that it doesn’t become monotonous.”

So far Tong has raised £932 to support the charity and he is aiming to raise £1,000 to boost awareness and help the cause and he has set himself a target of 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead of the big race. The link to donate is available on the JustGiving website.