Milton Keynes (July 26, 2023) – One of the World’s Most Successful Multi-Marathoner Steve Edwards, has selected the 2024 edition of Milton Keynes Marathon Weekend set for May 6, 2024, to attempt his 1000th Marathon for a Guinness World Record.
Edwards already holds nine world records in marathon running and is on target to secure a 10th record when he completes his 1000th race next year. The 60-year-old ran his first marathon in 1981 at the age of 18 years old; however, the dream of completing 1000 races was birthed in 1988 when he began competing in multiple marathons. Since then, Edwards has completed 973 official marathon races on average every 13 days for 30 years and in an average time of 3hrs 21min 01 second. He is also on a mission to set the fastest aggregate time to run 1000 marathons.
“I could never have imagined being on the cusp of achieving a potential world record for running 1000 official marathon races in the fastest average finish time,” said Edwards. “If I succeed, it will fulfill a lifelong dream after decades of dedication to an incredible sport that has given me so much throughout my life.”
Edwards had hoped to achieve his goal in 2022 just before his 60th birthday; however, Covid-19 restrictions placed a halt on that. He said: “As I am now approaching my 61st birthday and slowing down with wear and tear, I hope to achieve this goal in May 2024 at the Milton Keynes Marathon Weekend with an estimated average finish time of between 3hrs 21min – 3hrs 22min and an estimated aggregate time of around 3360 hours. I’m also hoping to complete all 1000 marathons in under 4 hours.”
When asked about his motivation for choosing the Milton Keynes Marathon Weekend to achieve this lifelong dream. Edwards explained: “We’ve thought long and hard about the choice of venue to run my 1000th marathon. It’s an event in which I’ve been an official pacer on 7 occasions for finish times ranging from sub 3:15 to sub 3:45. The city which hosts this event is one in which I’ve run most of my marathons, a total of 115 at various locations. What’s more, it has a stadium venue that not only has great facilities and entertainment for both runners and non-runners alike but also provides a perfect finish line in front of the main stand.”
Race Director of MK Marathon Weekend, Andy Hully, said: “We are very excited to host the first Guinness World Record for completing 1000 marathons in under 4 hours in Milton Keynes, The City of Dreams. This is an incredible lifetime achievement for Steve Edwards, and our amazing stadium finish will provide an iconic setting for his finale.”
The MK Marathon Weekend is a multi-award-winning event that began in 2012. The event is an AIMS/IAAF Grade A certified race, which means it is a qualifying event for London and Boston, and other world majors and has consistently ranked in the top 10 UK marathons. In addition to its many awards, the MK Marathon Weekend also boasts the British Association of Road Races (BARR) Gold accreditation for outstanding race management for the last ten years.
The 2024 edition of the MK Marathon Weekend will again be hosted at the renowned Stadium: MK, home to the MK Dons Football Club. Entrants can compete in the MK Rocket 5K on Sunday, May 5, the half marathon, or the marathon on Monday, May 6. There will also be a Marathon Relay and a Superhero Fun Run.