John Williams - running for Saint Francis Hospice

For accountant John Williams, it’s not all about the numbers on the spreadsheets! He’s discovered a passion for running and so far, his efforts have raised over £12,500 for Saint Francis Hospice.  

Here John shares how being part of the hospice’s events team gave him the confidence to run an incredible 60km for his 60th birthday.

My running journey started when I was 50. By the time the pandemic hit I had a decent level of fitness, and I decided to do an event for the first time. I signed up to run the virtual Royal Parks Half Marathon on 21st April 2021 and it was very much my first toe in the water of eventing!

My wife Claudia had worked at Saint Francis Hospice as a nurse on the ward for many years, so I wanted to fundraise for the hospice. I was contacted by Michelle from the Events team, and I received a fundraising pack.  

An opportunity to run the London Marathon for Saint Francis Hospice in October 2022 came up and I decided to go for it as my running was going well.

Up until this point I had never run more than 6 miles at school. Now, I had 13.1 miles to run and a London Marathon to prepare for!

The events team at Saint Francis Hospice were absolutely marvellous. I still didn’t believe in myself at this point, but I received amazing support from the hospice.

The London Marathon was an incredible day. I saw my family and friends as I was running, and I stopped for a hug with everyone. Crowds were cheering everyone on, I was having such a blast. It is still such a wonderful memory.  

What do you do after that! Well, I knew I had a mad idea! I discussed it with a colleague who is a national standard marathon runner. I asked his advice on running 60 miles for my 60th birthday and he suggested I run 60km.  

To get ready for the challenge, I started running to work!  I had issues with my digestive system when running and this had kept me out of events so I decided the Brentwood Half Marathon would be a good test.  

There was such a brilliant vibe on the day and it was great to meet the Saint Francis Hospice team and fellow runners at the charity’s gazebo.

I started with a two-hour pace guide who was so thoughtful. When I stopped by the roadside to eat my jelly babies, he asked if I was ok. I finished with a personal best of 1 hour and 53 minutes. I was loving that.  

The event gave me confidence and I knew then I was on the way. By that time, I was doing a half marathon almost every week, I called it my Sunday Half-ter-noon.

So I kept in touch with Michelle about the 60k challenge. I also had strength sessions at the gym. It was amazing. All these horrible exercises I did made a huge difference! 

Andy Preston, a sports coach and psychologist who supports the hospice runners, told me about the Sikhs in the City running club that could help me with the challenge. One of the members is Fauja Singh, a famous marathon runner who will be 114 this year! Although it can’t be verified because he doesn’t have a birth certificate. The club organised the Dawn to Dust Ultra. The event usually takes place on the winter solstice on 20th December -  the same date as my birthday. In 2024 it took place on 8th December.  

I knew I’d have to be properly prepared and make sure I had food and enough drink to stay hydrated. I was also going to be jeffing (a running style that includes short regular walking breaks). I would take a minor hit on my speed, but I would still be within my target time. I was fitter than I had been at the London Marathon. 

I discovered I had to do it in 7 hours and 50 minutes. If I ran at 7 minutes per kilometer and factored in just one toilet break, I could do it.

On the day of the ultra, the weather was awful. I was glad my wife Claudia was there to see me start. There was a gale, and the wind was blowing me backwards on the course. Halfway around Claudia gave me flapjacks, jelly babies, water and gels. Miraculously, I did not need the toilet until 44km. I was grateful to a friend who cycled in his wet weather gear to cheer me on and distract me at the 40km stage after Claudia had gone. My older son even drove up to support me and my younger son spoke to me on the phone from university.

I finished within 7 hours and 43 minutes and placed 10th in the ultra-competition. It turned out I had ran 60.42km! 

I was so delighted. The people involved were so kind. Although the Saint Francis Hospice events team was not there on the day, they had been with me throughout my preparation, and I knew I had their support behind me.  

My experience has made me feel I can enjoy life more. It has given me so much confidence and belief in myself. 

I would not have ran 60km or the London Marathon without the Saint Francis Hospice community. Every event I have done is with Saint Francis Hospice, it is such a special place.

Claudia has told me so many stories over the years about how wonderful the hospice is. I then experienced the love and support of the hospice community. I love these people. I know that they support me, and the vibe gives me great energy.

 What’s next? Well... there is so much choice, and I plan to keep going. I would like to do a marathon when I am 80 so the hospice can expect me to be around for a few years yet!