London Marathon finish was ‘pure elation’ says Fed member

9 May 2024

A Hertfordshire Police Federation member has shared his sense of achievement after taking his ‘golden chance’ to run the London Marathon this year.

Neil Canning, an Intervention Inspector from Watford, completed the Marathon on 21 April at an official time of four hours, 48 minutes and four seconds, in the culmination of a gruelling, months-long training plan.

The feat comes after Neil was forced to postpone his successful ballot slot for the 2023 Marathon due to a calf injury sustained while playing football.

“At first, it might not seem too big of a deal to postpone for a year, but I was only allowed to do so once, otherwise I’d lose my place altogether. Anyone who’s applied for a London Marathon ballot place knows how slim your chances are,” said Neil.

“So basically, if I lost my place, I’d never get it back. This year was my only chance of ever doing it.”

Inspector Neil Canning.

Once he had made a recovery from last year’s setback, Neil, 45, made a return to playing football – but this time around, he wasn’t prepared to take the same risks, and had a blueprint in place to make sure he would be at the starting line come marathon day.

As the new year rolled around, out went the football, and in came a 16-week running plan.

“Of course, I couldn’t rule out getting injured from running, but I was getting rid of all the dangers a contact sport brings. My training went really well, and I was going into the race in a condition I was very happy with – the complete opposite to last year,” he continued.

Despite not officially entering the Marathon through a charity, Neil chose to mark his participation by raising money for The Hospice of St Francis in Berkhamsted, who provide end-of-life care for people with serious illnesses such as cancer and motor neurone disease.

He added: “I didn’t want to run all those miles just for myself, so I thought a good cause might as well benefit. The Hospice did an amazing job of looking after my wife’s nan as she passed away in 2019.”

Boosted by ‘brilliant’ support from police colleagues, both through words of encouragement and donations, Neil battled through fatigue towards the end of the race to finish in well under five hours.

The inspector credited the atmosphere generated by crowds who flanked either side of the track, including his wife, Alison, and daughters Ella and Lily, for seeing him through to the Marathon’s end.

Neil said: “The last four miles were tough. I almost began walking, but I knew if I started walking, I wouldn’t have begun running again. There are people on the side-lines all the way from the start to the end, and when you’ve got your name being shouted at you like it was at certain points, you find an extra gear.

“It was incredible. Having my family there was great, as well, and I must give a shout out to my best mate in the police, Rad Vernica, for being there too.”

Neil, who hadn’t completed as much as a half-marathon since his twenties, says his post-race aches and pains were eased by five days off from work, but not before he had to navigate the London Underground system with legs that had pounded over 26 miles of tarmac just hours before.

“The number of steps in those Underground stations was not good at all,” he laughed. “Once I got home, though, I was soon eating a massive pizza, feeling pretty proud of myself. I’d booked the following two days off to recover, and then the next three happened to be rest days.

“That feeling of crossing the finish line was just pure elation. I’m just so glad I finally got the opportunity to do it, with it truly being a bucket-list item of mine.”

Federation members can still donate to Neil’s fundraiser if they wish by visiting his Enthuse page.