Guts-y Banbury runner set to achieve London Marathon dream and raise awareness of charity

Mission accomplished... Mark Rogers celebrates going under three hours in last year's Worcester Marathon, an achievement that has seen him secure a place for October's London event.

Entry into the London Marathon for many people comes through the public ballot but for Mark Rogers his impending first appearance has come about because of his dedication to improving as a runner.

Since a challenge from a friend renewed his interest in running, Mark, 45, a creative designer from Bodicote, has improved his times to the point where he has got a precious entry for the big day by being one of the top performers in his age category.

And with other friends encouraging him to support a charity on October 2, he veered away from the obvious choices and is backing Guts UK, a lesser-known organisation that fights all digestive disorders.

He told the Banbury Guardian: “I wanted to support Guts UK as it’s quite a small charity. While taking on the London Marathon I will be thinking of my dear friends who are sadly no longer here and the people I know who have recently had treatment and those who are currently having treatment.

"There is a stigma around gut health which many people leave too late to talk about or visit a GP. Guts UK is helping to break that stigma and make us all much more aware of our bodies and the symptoms we need to be aware of.”

Initially lacking in confidence in his running ability – he admits to taking several months to join Cherwell Runners and Joggers after first deciding it was the right move to make – he progressed through half marathons to doing a number of full marathons.

And it was then that a friend said he should try for the London. He entered while he was at university but was not successful in the ballot so this time he didn’t want to get a place by the luck of the draw.

"I stopped drinking two-and-a-half years ago to get every ounce of productivity I could,” he said.

And that discipline paid off as his marathon times started to improve.

He is in a ‘good for age’ category where he would need a time of 3h 10mins to qualify but if too many people achieved that mark, there would still be a ballot.

So he targeted getting under three hours to remove any doubt and he saw his times get closer to the mark and then eventually under, hitting 2:57 when he finished second in the Worcester Marathon in 2021.

He said: “I was in tears when I knew what I had achieved as it took me the best part of three years to break three hours after getting very close on a few earlier attempts. With the support of my family and running friends, plus trusting my plan I achieved it.”

He held over his entry until this year and since then he has got 2:52 in Manchester – a time he hopes will see him secure a place for 2023.

"I do a lot of training, 50 miles a week, changing my diet and doing other fitness activities,” Mark, who is also a member at Banbury Rugby Club, added.

His partner Karen has also got the habit and has been running for three years and son Dawson is also keen.

You can help his effort to support Guts UK at his justgiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mr-mark-rogers