In the run-up to the 2025 London Marathon and London Landmarks Half Marathon, we are excited to share some stories from our excellent runners, past and present.
This month, we talked to ex-paratrooper Craig Mellors, who last year earned a coveted spot in the 2024 London Marathon – amidst an astonishing 578,374 applications! He chose to support the Forces Employment Charity in gratitude for the invaluable assistance and guidance he received from his Op NOVA caseworker during challenging times.
What motivated you to run in the London Marathon?
After dedicating 15 incredible years as a paratrooper, my body has certainly faced its share of wear and tear from carrying heavy equipment through challenging environments. However, my mental resilience, support from my loved ones, and strong motivation to support a great cause would help me cross the finish line.
Transitioning to a truck driver, I struggled to establish a consistent training routine until I began training around November. Before that, my activity was sporadic, consisting only of occasional runs amidst a hectic work and life schedule.
How did you approach your training?
My training approach mirrored the mindset I developed in the parachute regiment, focusing on hard work and perseverance, even when my mind wanted to quit. I experienced ups and downs in my training, including a particularly tough run where, despite feeling drained, I pushed beyond my planned distance and exceeded 13 miles. This experience reminded me of the importance of a positive mindset, as I ultimately performed better than I had anticipated.
In addition to running, I’ve found a good local gym with good opening times around work, so I went there regularly during the week. I mostly did low-impact/stamina endurance things on the bike, usually to avoid overworking my knees. I also worked a lot on balance and ankle mobility as a few years back, I had suffered an ankle injury, and this was one of my known weak points, so I worked on this as I knew that as my body tired, that’s the sort of thing that would catch me out.
My diet wasn’t the best; I had sandwiches for work most days, occasionally stopping for a grab-and-go burger or something. Evening meals were usually more balanced, but I didn’t adjust my diet/eating habits. I upped my water intake, but that was the only real change. For most weekend pre-long runs, I usually started with a good full English and a couple of pints of milk. I found these powered me through. I didn’t take water or energy gels on runs with me, although I usually felt like I had reached the 13/14-mile mark. That’s when I knew my body needed a bit of something. But mentally, I liked to push myself, so on race day, I knew I had a good boost to come.
What was the highlight of the race?
The highlight of my race was finishing within 5 hours and raising over £1,700 for the Forces Employment Charity!
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