Leeds Beckett Professor set to reach marathon milestone

Picture: Jules T/Flickr 

Professor of Applied and Professional Ethics, Simon Robinson, has done 99 half or full marathons, raising thousands for a host of charities in the process, since his very first in 1985.

This has included long-distance runs in locations all over the globe like Chicago, New York, Moscow and Australia’s Gold Coast.

On Sunday, the former cricketer will make it a century when he takes part in the biggest half marathon in the world, the Great North Run.

Professor Robinson said: “It is 54 full marathons and 45 half marathons so on Sunday it is the 100^th.

“You just put one foot in front of the other. One out of 100 was in 1985. That was the Edinburgh Marathon. At that point I was a chaplain in Scotland and we were raising money for a cancer charity and my treasurer challenged me.

“My sport was ideally cricket; I was a medium-paced bowler. My shoulder went and I thought I would do a bit of running.”

Since then, Professor Robinson has barely stopped running and Sunday will have special significance as he is being joined for the first time by son Jamie and four-year-old grandson Arthur.

Even after crossing the finishing line, though, he says there will be no thoughts of hanging up his running shoes.

 “I wasn’t sure where to go for the 100^th and whether it would be a spectacular overseas marathon or whatever,” he said.

“It turns out I’m doing this one, my son is doing his first one and my grandson is doing the Mini Great North Run.

“I don’t intend to retire. My great hero is the Sikh runner (Fauja Singh) who was still running aged 94.

“I think it is important that Leeds Business School shows Carnegie it has legs.”

Simon Robinson talks about his research: