Run Graham Run!

Graham McKenna recently took to the treadmill for an attempt on the world record in his latest fundraising challenge ‘Run Graham Run’.

Attempting to run 21 marathons in 7 days, Graham battled his way through injury to cover as many miles as possible in the fight against bladder cancer. Ultrarunner Magazine caught up with Graham to discuss the event and talk about what led him into the world of endurance sport!

A love-hate relationship with running ….

When I was in the Army running was forced onto me as a part of my training and I had always had a love-hate relationship with it! Running wasn’t a sport that I chose, rather one that chose me as I used it as a tool throughout adulthood to keep fit. After leaving the Army I started boxing and running showed up there too! An inescapable but necessary instrument to develop my fitness levels.

Through work, I had taken part in yearly fundraising challenges such as the Yorkshire three peaks, and I had carried on doing foot races here and there, but my relationship with running was still love-hate.

In 2017 I hit rock bottom and subsequently went to counselling. During that time, I completed my first ever marathon, I had done Ultras before, but this would be my first marathon distance and I told my councillor all about it in one of our sessions…

“You must really love running”, my councillor said, but I didn’t, I really hated it! … “How can you hate running and run for five hours, through choice? … you must love it, to do it?”, she fired back, and she had a valid point!